The Karnataka government is making a major amendment in its labor laws that can increase specific workdays up to 10 hours in companies and organizations, and in some cases, including overtime, including overtime. This step to align local rules with national labor reforms and simplify operating processes for businesses, has increased strong protests from trade unions in the state.

According to the Hindu, the proposal changes changes in Karnataka shops and commercial establishments Act, 1961, currently allows maximum nine working hours a day. Under the new structure, workers may be allowed to work 10 hours a day with maximum 12 hours of work, including overtime and 48 hours a week.

The State Labor Department on Wednesday held a counselor meeting with members of industry and labor unions to discuss the amendment on Wednesday. However, the government says that reforms will reduce processes for small businesses, such as records and certification, especially in the technology sector, have been rapidly criticized by groups of workers.

The trade unions attached by the Karnataka State IT/ITES Employees Union (Kitu) have condemned the draft amendment, carefully that the employees will be destructively implications for welfare for this. The Kitu leader said, “The government is trying to make inhuman conditions ideal. This amendment is not for productivity – it is to reduce humans in machines and appeal to corporate honors.”

The Sangh has called the move a step towards “modern-day slavery” and appealed to workers in all areas to organize against the move. Kitu has threatened that an expansion of legal workdays will open the way for a two-shift system, resulting in a huge pruning. The Sangh claimed, “Change will legalize the 12-hour shift and enable two-shift structure, possibly eradicated a third of the workforce,” the Sangh claimed.

The government is shocked amidst broad national labor reforms. Between 2019 and 2020, the central government implemented four labor codes to consolidate and update India’s labor laws. These codes provided an opportunity to the states to decide on thresholds for working hours, which extending similar laws enhancing equal laws such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Those who monitor the industry said that the lively information technology industry of Karnataka has to achieve much if the amendment is materiality. They say that long -term IT companies can provide more flexibility in their operation and easy synchronization with international time regions.

But labor workers take care that business benefits are believed to be the cost of psychological and physical health of workers. Kitu and other trade unions are asking the government to re -look at the proposal and open a broad, more open discussion that includes employees of all industries. “This is not just a labor issue; it is a human issue. The priority should be to maintain dignity and ensure the work-life balance,” Adiga said.

The Labor Department has not made any official comments after Wednesday’s meeting, and the draft amendment has not been brought into the legislature. But signs of disturbance means that any step to implement such far -reaching changes without comprehensive consultation will be likely to increase mass protests and industrial action in the state.