BENGALURU: The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has called for a protest at Freedom Park on March 9, demanding better work-life balance and stricter labour law enforcement in the IT sector, The News Minute reported.

Under the slogan “A Healthy Work-Life Balance is Every Employee’s Right,” the demonstration aims to expose the excessive work expectations placed on IT professionals. KITU claims that the standard eight-hour workday is rarely followed, with employees often forced to work overtime without compensation and remain available beyond office hours, impacting their well-being.

In March 2024, the union submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka Labour Minister, urging strict enforcement of working hour limits and fair overtime pay. Despite repeated appeals, KITU alleges that the government has not taken meaningful action.

Their key demands include:

  • Setting clear daily work-hour limits to prevent burnout.
  • Revoking IT sector exemptions from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act.
  • Cracking down on labour law violations in IT/ITeS companies.
  • Introducing the Right to Disconnect, allowing employees to ignore after-hours work messages without penalties.

Last year, IT firms reportedly pushed for increasing daily working hours to 14, sparking backlash that forced the government to abandon the proposal. With mounting pressure, KITU hopes this protest will lead to real change.