Increasing working hours to 10 is unscientific, says Labour Minister Santosh Lad
Bengaluru: Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad has expressed strong opposition to the central government’s proposal to increase the daily working hours of employees from 9 to 10 hours, calling the move unscientific and impractical.
Speaking at a press conference at Vikasa Soudha on Thursday, the minister said that the Union Labour Ministry had sent a proposal to all states to amend the 1961 Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act to extend the working hours. However, he clarified that the Karnataka government will first gather feedback from workers before taking any decision.
“The state believes in equal policy opportunities. While we do have provisions for additional work hours when necessary, in most progressive countries, there is no pressure on workers to extend working hours. But in India, such pressure has been increasing,” he noted.
Citing Bengaluru as an example, Lad pointed out that workers often spend up to two hours commuting between home and office. “Considering such issues, increasing working hours further is not reasonable,” he said.
The minister further stated that if workers voluntarily agree to the extended hours, the rule may be implemented selectively in certain companies or sectors.
“We will issue guidelines accordingly. However, if workers face stress or problems, they are free to file complaints with the Labour Department. We will then investigate and take appropriate legal action,” he assured.
Reacting to reports that India’s largest IT firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), plans to reduce its workforce by 2% by the 2026 financial year, Lad said, “We will talk to the company. If complaints arise, we will take them seriously.”
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Man arrested for for raping mute woman in Jamshedpur
Jamshedpur (PTI): One person was arrested on the charge of raping a 30-year-old woman with speech impairment in Jamshedpur, a police officer said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the Azadnagar police station area of the city, and a case in this regard was registered based on the statement of the victim's brother on Monday.
The victim had gone to fetch water from the premises of a company on Monday evening. When she did not return even after a considerable time, family members went out in search of her and caught the accused red-handed, police said.
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The accused was a caretaker of the company.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Patamda) Bachandeo Kujjur said due to scarcity of water in the area, the victim used to fetch water from the premises of the company.
