IT industry opposes union's call to end relief in labour rules

The information technology (IT) industry seems to disagree with the Karnataka IT Union's (KITU's) demand that the state government revoke the exemption given to the IT/ITES sector from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946.

- AYUSHMAN BARUAH & ANEEKA CHATTERJEE

According to the Act, industrial establishments with 50 or more workers are required to define and communicate to employees about the job conditions, such as working hours, attendance, leave procedures, and termination.

The IT and IT-enabled services sector (IT/ITes), which employs over 2 million workers in Karnataka, has secured exemptions from the Act on more than four occasions, the latest being on May 25, 2019, which is set to expire on May 25, 2024.

On March 16, a section of IT employees, under the banner of KITU, staged a protest in front of the labour commissioner's office in Bengaluru to press for their views.

"KITU, the only registered union of IT/ITeS sector employees in Karnataka with a membership of more than 10,000, demanded the government not renew the exemption as employers were not complying with the four conditions imposed on them while granting exemption," KITU said in a statement.