Bengaluru, June 21: The Karnataka government has said there will not be any change in the weekly work hours, and there will be focus on flexibility. The Karnataka govt announced its plans to increase the daily work hours to 10, a move criticised and called out by employee union as "modern-day slavery". Currently, the provisions under the law allow for nine hours of work in a day. The proposal was aimed to increase it to one more hour, making it a total of 10 hours daily working time.

The Karnataka government clarified, "We want to state unequivocally that the proposal does not, in any way, alter the maximum weekly working hours, which remain capped at 48 hours". The govt added that there was no international convention or standard violation, and the proposal complied with the ILO (International Labour Organisation) and foundational domestic laws. Intel Layoffs: US-Based Chipmaker To Cut Over 10,000 Jobs in July 2025 Without Severance, Some Engineers and Technicians Will Be Unaffected, Says Report.

The government said the 10-hour work would include one hour of rest interval or break. Therefore, the total active working hours would be nine. The Karnataka govt said that the maximum limit of 12 hours would include overtime. According to the state government, the proposal's main goal was to offer greater flexibility to both employees and employers. The change would make it legally possible for workers to finish their 48-hour weekly quota in fewer days, allowing them to opt for flexible working hours.

As per the govt, the 10-hour work proposal was still in the consultation stage. It involved actively conversing with stakeholders to make a final decision that would be "holistic, balanced and beneficial for all." The Department of Labour held a tripartite meeting with trade unions and industry representatives to discuss the proposed 10-hour work amendment to  Section 7 of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Anticipates Generative AI Will Reduce Its Corporate Workforce, Says ‘We Will Need Fewer People Doing Some of the Jobs That Are Being Done Today’.

KITU (Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union) criticised the proposed amendment by the state government by calling it "modern-day slavery." KITU invited all the sectors to oppose the move by the Karnataka Government to increase the work hours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2025 04:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).