'Forced to work beyond official hours': Karnataka IT employees' union to protest on March 9

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has announced a mass gathering of IT sector employees on March 9 at Freedom Park, Bengaluru, at 2:30 PM, demanding stricter enforcement of labor laws and an end to excessive work hours. Under the slogan “A healthy work-life balance is every employee’s right,” KITU is protesting against unregulated overtime, lack of compensation for extra work, and the expectation that employees remain available beyond working hours.

“It is a well-known fact, both within and outside the industry, that the standard eight-to-nine-hour workday is largely a myth. Employees are frequently compelled to work beyond official hours, including weekends, without any additional compensation. The pressure from employers is causing serious physical and mental health problems for workers,” the union said in a statement on Thursday.

On March 13, 2024, the union submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka Labour Minister, alleging that IT/ITES companies were violating overtime wage rules and extending work hours beyond statutory limits. Despite multiple meetings and protests, the union claims that the government has failed to take concrete steps to regulate working hours.

KITU is calling for the enforcement of daily working hour limits to prevent excessive overtime and burnout, arguing that IT companies should not be exempt from labor regulations. The union is also demanding the removal of IT sector exemptions under the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, which allows companies to impose flexible yet demanding work conditions. Additionally, KITU wants strict action against labor law violations and a clear implementation of the Right to Disconnect, which would prevent employers from expecting employees to be available beyond official working hours.

The protest comes amid an ongoing debate over extreme work hours in India's corporate sector. Earlier this year, KITU strongly opposed L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s comments advocating a 90-hour work week, calling it “ruthless and inhuman exploitation.”

Subrahmanyan, in an internal meeting with employees had controversially stated, “I regret I am not able to make you work on Sundays. If I can make you work on Sundays, I will be more happy.”

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy had earlier advocated a 70-hour work week, arguing that India's work productivity is among the lowest in the world and that young professionals should work extra hours to help the country compete globally.

KITU Secretary Sooraj Nidiyanga warned that such statements are not isolated incidents. “Previously, when Narayana Murthy advocated for a 70-hour work week, there was an attempt to implement the same in Karnataka. Only because of the intervention and mobilisation by KITU and resistance from employees, the government was forced to step back,” he had said.

Some business leaders, including Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and former HCL CEO Vineet Nayar, have opposed the glorification of long work hours. Mahindra argued that productivity matters more than hours worked, while Nayar warned that overworking drains “energy, creativity, and purpose.”