Bengaluru’s class of workers retaliate against the unfair labor policy that makes their 10 hour workday a 14 hour one.
On August 3rd, Bengaluru held witness to a fervent protest by a large number of IT workers at Freedom park. The protest was a direct retaliation against the proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. The Act, already a frequently debated topic amongst workers, the proposal suggests the extension of daytime work for IT workers from 10 hours to 14 hours (including overtime). The proposal faced extreme backlash, with several citing the plan as inhuman. Several office holders of the KITU, the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union were present, including VJK Nair, the president of KITU and Additional Labour Commissioner G Manjunath.
The officials presented a memorandum that condemned the hire and fire policy policy. Defined by Lawful Legal, “The doctrine of hire and fire, also known as at-will employment, grants employers the freedom to terminate employees without cause or notice, subject to certain legal limitations.”. This policy is very prevalent in the industry and is a common tactic to exploit workers.
There were around 800-900 estimated workers protesting the proposal. The implications of this proposal means that around 10 lakh workers will now face severe time constraints resulting in little to no job security. Extending working hours will further impact the health of IT workers as stated by KITU representatives, citing a report from WHO: “working 55 or more hours per week is associated with an estimated 35% higher risk of a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35-40 hours a week.”
Bengaluru is a host of active retaliation against unfair labor policies. Several protest movements have occurred due to the mistreatment of several Safai Karamcharis. This protest is not an isolated event, but rather an extension of what the “industry” feels the worker should be able to do. Having already an excruciating amount of time dedicated to work, workers are now expected to travel, commute, manage families, personal issues as well as work. With a 14 hour work day, it not only establishes a power dynamic between the higher ups and the working classes, but rather represents how under-unionized and underrepresented IT employees are. Although IT workers are majorly belonging to the middle class, it is no surprise that this movement has see much support across states, with the Tamilnadu welfare organizations (UNITE) showing their
direct support.
What is blatant here is the lack of decentralized decision - making, and the lack of transparency into the process itself. It is no secret that the workplace is a highly isolating place, but this proposal with major industries showing support is blatant disregard for the ongoings of the common Indian worker. For a female worker, this becomes an even more tough situation, as pregnancy and marriage will now be attributed as a reason to be fired immediately. Setting the standard of minimum 12 hours means that the women who juggle both family and work (often because of expectations to become the caregiver in both instances) need to rush back home to manage simply cannot, and will be pressurised to dedicate herself to one sphere.
Productivity aside, it is evident that it is not the deadlines that kill the worker, but rather the industry itself that finishes the job. Picture credits: https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/we-are-workers-not-your-slaves-it-workers-in-bengaluru-protest-against-14-hour-work
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