Karnataka govt big decision on duty timing 10 hours per day

The Karnataka government has decided to reject the Centre’s proposal to increase the daily working hours from 9 to 10 hours under the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act of 1961. Karnataka govt big decision on duty timing 10 hours per day.

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment had reportedly directed states to consider amending working hour limits, and a task force from the Central Government had made recommendations, including increasing the maximum daily working hours from 9 to 10.

This proposal also aimed to increase the overtime limit significantly (e.g., from 50 hours to 144 hours in three months) and exempt establishments with fewer than 10 employees from certain compliance rules.

Karnataka’s Stance: The Karnataka government has decided to oppose this amendment on two primary grounds:

Concurrent List Subject: Labour falls under the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, meaning both the Centre and states have legislative power. Karnataka asserts its competency and “policy elbowroom” to make decisions regarding its labour laws.

Existing Provisions for Overtime: Karnataka argues that its existing labour matrix already has provisions for overtime in addition to the standard 9 hours a day and 48 hours a week, which provides flexibility without needing to formally increase the standard daily work limit.

The decision to reject the proposal was made after extensive deliberations with various stakeholders, particularly trade unions, which have overwhelmingly opposed the increase in working hours.

Unions, like the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) and Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), have termed the proposal “modern-day slavery” and warned of adverse impacts on work-life balance, mental health, and even potential job losses due to a shift from three-shift to two-shift systems in sectors like IT.

Labour Minister’s View: Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad has reportedly stated that he is “prima facie, not for it” (the proposal) and that a final decision would be taken after comprehensive discussions with all concerned parties, though sources indicate the state has already taken the decision to reject.

Official Communication Pending: While the decision has reportedly been made internally, the state is yet to officially communicate its rejection to the Centre. The Labour Commissioner’s report on the matter is pending review with the Labour Minister, who is expected to discuss it with the Chief Minister before a final official communication.

While industries and certain business chambers had welcomed the proposal for increased flexibility and productivity, the strong opposition from labour unions and concerns about employee welfare appear to have swayed the state government’s decision.

This move by Karnataka stands in contrast to some other states like Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, which have reportedly introduced similar amendments to increase working hours.