Latest news with #CITU
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Unions oppose draft bill that raises working hours to 10 a day
1 2 Bengaluru: The labour department's draft amendment to Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, proposing a 10-hour workday, has triggered widespread concern among trade unions and private sector employees across the state. The draft proposes raising the daily work limit from nine to 10 hours, with working hours including overtime increasing to a maximum 12 hours a day. However, the weekly cap remains at 48 hours. Additionally, maximum permissible overtime over any three consecutive months has been raised dramatically from 50 to 144 hours — a staggering 188% increase. The amendment also exempts shops and establishments with fewer than 10 employees from maintaining mandatory registers and displaying the Act in multiple languages, a move criticised for potentially weakening employee rights in smaller workplaces. Trade unions, including Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), have voiced strong opposition. CITU warned that the amendment could trigger an "unemployment avalanche", estimating job losses between 4.5 and 6.8 lakh in retail, malls, and hospitality sectors. In a memorandum objecting to the proposal, CITU said the amendments would violate international labour laws and would infringe constitutional rights. It forecast a sharp rise in youth unemployment — from 23.7% to 38.2% — if the amendment is implemented. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I Asked ChatGPT What The Cheapest Car Insurance Is In 2025 - Here's What It Said Smart Lifestyle Trends Learn More Undo The proposed amendment is likely to affect information technology and information technology-enabled services (IT/ITeS) sector as well. Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) said the move will adversely impact some 20 lakh employees of the sector. KITU pointed out that the amendment is likely to result in a two-shift system instead of the existing three and, as a result, one-third of the workforce will be laid off. The union also cited studies which point out the adverse effects long working hours have on mental health of young employees. "This amendment shows that the govt is unwilling to recognise workers as human beings who require personal time and social lives to thrive. Instead, it views them merely as machines to increase profits of firms who employ them," said Suhas Adiga, KITU general secretary. However, labour minister Santosh Lad said the govt is still carefully evaluating the proposal. "These recommendations came from the central govt," Lad said. "The secretary himself met with the chief secretary and submitted recommendations which were forwarded to the state govt." Lad said he will invite representatives of all stakeholders, gather opinions and consult the chief minister and cabinet. "A final decision will be made only after that," he said. On Wednesday, labour secretary Rohini Sindhuri Dasari met with several stakeholders, but reports suggest no consensus was reached.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
IT, ITES sectors to benefit the most with 10-hour shifts
Among the biggest beneficiaries of the amendment being proposed to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1961, will be hundreds of companies in the Information Technology and Information Technology-Enabled Services (IT & ITES) sectors offering software services, backend IT services and hardware sales, among others. The State government has proposed to increase the daily working hours to 10 from the current nine hours, besides allowing more overtime hours. A meeting is being held on Wednesday to discuss the proposals. 'The amendment will legitimise the violation of working hours that is already happening in the sector,' said Meenakshi Sundaram, general secretary, CITU, Karnataka, calling it at attempt to 'legalise the illegal act'. Succumbing to pressure Trade unions argued that this was being pushed by the Centre. Mr. Sundaram, said, 'It is unfortunate that the Congress government is not trying to establish a different policy from that of the BJP government. It is succumbing to the pressure of the Centre and compromising the basic rights of the citizens of Karnataka.' Pointing out to a similar exercise by the State government for the factory workers in the State, he said that this would only reduce employment generating potential while helping only profit making. 'Their idea of to keep shops and establishments for long hours hoping to increase the turnover. However, people do not have purchasing capacity. Instead, the government should work towards increasing the income of people.' Mr. Sundaram said that the government has allowed simplification of record maintenance, certification and book maintenance among others. The absence of a strict compliance and monitoring, AITUC State secretary M. Satyananda said, could lead to 'wage theft' where employers could force employees to work for longer hours without increasing wages. 'How can the Labour Department, which faces staff shortage, inspect thousands of commercial establishments? There will be no mechanism to monitor. Increasing hours would reduce the rest period for workers as well,' he said. 'Ease of doing business' Taking a contrary view, president of Karnataka Employers' Association B.C. Prabhakar said that it would help in 'ease of doing business' by exempting establishments employing less than 10 persons from submitting documents. 'In Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand, the exemption for submitting annual returns has been exempted to establishments that hire less than 20 persons,' said Mr. Prabhakar. He said that increase in the cap for daily working hours and extra overtime is a 'progressive measure.' 'It legitimises what is already going on,' he said.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Alliance regime a bundle of failures, says CPI(M)
CPI(M) leaders called the one year rule of the TDP-led alliance government as a 'bundle of failures' and wanted the regime to learn lessons from its mistakes. Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Tirupati district general secretary Kandarapu Murali released a booklet published by the CPI(M) on the one-year-old rule in State on Tuesday, and termed the regime as having failed to fulfil its own promises made ahead of the elections. 'Having formed an alliance with the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, State leaders like N. Chandrababu Naidu and K. Pawan Kalyan were expected to usher in an era of development for the State, however, they sacrificed the State's interests for their own political gains,' he said. He alleged that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) had been dragged into scores of controversies, hurting the sentiments of the devout Hindus. 'While the minimum wages have not been raised for the last 15 years, the credit for increasing the working hours from 10 to 12 hours goes to Mr. Chandrababu Naidu,' the leaders commented. The speakers accused the alliance regime of treading the same path taken by the YSRCP government in the past.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Anganwadi workers protest demanding inclusion of welfare schemes
Adoni: A large number of Anganwadi workers under the aegis of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) took out a rally in Adoni on Monday, demanding the extension of government welfare schemes to them. The rally commenced at the Municipal Grounds and proceeded through Bhima Circle before culminating in a protest in front of the Mandal Revenue Officer's (MRO) office. CITU town unit president Tippanna, secretary Gopal, and mandal leaders J Ramamjaneyulu and B Veerareddy addressed the gathering, along with Anganwadi union leaders Padma, Renuka, and Somakka. Speaking at the dharna, the leaders expressed serious concern that Anganwadi workers are being portrayed as government employees in online systems. This classification, they argued, is preventing them from receiving benefits under various welfare schemes. They pointed out that not a single welfare scheme was extended to Anganwadi workers during the tenure of the previous government. 'Despite repeated representations to the authorities, our pleas were ignored,' the leaders said. During a 42-day strike in the past, the then government had verbally assured them that they would be made eligible for welfare schemes. However, no official Government Order (GO) was issued in this regard. As a result, the current government's welfare programmes, many of which are based on the income eligibility criterion of Rs 12,000 per month, are not being extended to them. The workers noted that their current monthly honorarium stands at Rs.11,500 — which makes them eligible for these schemes — yet they are still being excluded. 'We urge the government to show compassion and ensure that all applicable welfare benefits are extended to Anganwadi workers without delay,' they appealed. At the conclusion of the protest, a formal representation outlining their demands and grievances was submitted to MRO Ramesh. A large number of Anganwadi workers participated in theprotest.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Karnataka anganwadi workers to lock centres, boycott work as part of mass protest on July 9
The Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers Association affiliated to centre of Indian trade Union (CITU) has decided to shut down the anganwadi centres and boycott work on July 9 as part of the mass protest organised by the anganwadi workers and helpers. State president of the Association addressing press persons in Kalaburagi city on Monday demanded the government to regularize the services of anganwadi workers and helpers, increase the budget for Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and to revise the honorarium. Recently the Gujarat High Court ruled that anganwadi workers and helpers are entitled to be absorbed as permanent government employees. Considering this, Ms Varalakshmi said that the service of anganwadi workers and helpers should be regularized and they should be paid a minimum wage of ₹ 26,000 a month and monthly pension of ₹ 10,000. Ms Varalakshmi said that anganwadi workers were tasked with registering beneficiaries' details in the POSHAN Tracker application, which had made their job harder, the app has purportedly increased their workload. The other demands includes starting the LKG and UKG classes in anganwadi centres, filling up the vacant posts of anganwadi workers and helpers and providing basic amenities and infrastructure facilities at all the anganwadi centres, she added.(eom)
