Karnataka Proposes 12-Hour Workday, Trade Unions Push Back

The Karnataka state government has proposed significant changes to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1961, aiming to extend the permissible daily working hours. The Labour Department has circulated the proposed amendments to gather stakeholder feedback.

The key change would increase the standard working hours from 9 to 10 hours per day, with a weekly cap of 48 hours. In addition, the maximum work duration, including overtime, could go up to 12 hours per day—a move that has drawn sharp criticism from trade unions across the state.

The government has cited the Union Ministry’s advisory to states, recommending updates to work-hour laws to match evolving industrial practices. The proposed amendment aligns Karnataka with other BJP-led states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Uttarakhand, where similar extensions have been adopted.

Another major change includes increasing the overtime limit from the current 50 hours per quarter to 144 hours over three months, effectively allowing more extended work periods per employee.

The Act currently regulates a wide range of establishments—hotels, pubs, bars, restaurants, corporate offices, and IT/ITES services. Notably, under the new proposal, shops and establishments with fewer than 10 employees would be exempt from several requirements, such as filing annual returns, potentially reducing their regulatory burden.

A consultative meeting was held on Wednesday by the Labour Department with representatives from various sectors to finalize the amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Rules, 1963, and the parent Act of 1961.

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