Bengaluru: Informing that the Karnataka government may not extend the daily working hours from 8 to 12, state Labour Minister A Shivaram Hebbar said on Saturday that the move will neither benefit the industries nor workers.
Considering that some states have already extended the working hours, Hebbar said that that the proposal has not been discussed and it may come for final deliberations next week.
"In spite of increasing working hours, employment should be given. If there are no jobs, what can be done by extending working hours? If it is done (working hours extended to 12 hours), it would not neither benefit workers nor industries. Let's see what happens, the minister said.
Asked if the government was in favour of the extension, he said, "I don't think it will be ready for the (12 hour) proposal."
Meanwhile, the Minister also said that their top priority now was to see that all MSMEs start operating again, salaries are paid to employees and there are no job losses for any reason.
If industries don't reopen, how can workers get their employment? We should think in parallel, Hebbar said, adding, the government was keeping the interests of both MSMEs and workers in mind.
