BENGALURU: The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has opposed the state government’s decision to remove statutory safety and security measures for women working night shifts through an amendment to the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act.
The Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Act, 2026, notified as Karnataka Act No. 38 of 2026, removes Clauses 25(1)(h) to 25(1)(o), which contained safeguards related to transportation and security of women employees working during night hours.
According to KITU, the deleted provisions included mandatory verification and background screening of drivers, authorised pick-up and drop routes, and protection of women employees’ phone numbers, email IDs and addresses from unauthorised persons. The provisions also required employers to avoid picking up a woman employee first or dropping her last.
Other safeguards included providing security guards in specified pick-up and drop situations, random checking of night-shift vehicles by designated supervisors, and maintaining a control room or travel desk to monitor vehicle movement. An emergency mechanism to enable women employees to seek immediate assistance was also among the provisions removed.
KITU General Secretary Suhas Adiga said safe transportation and effective security mechanisms were essential for women working night shifts, particularly in the IT/ITeS sector, which employs a large number of women.
The union said removing the statutory safeguards would place greater responsibility on individual women employees while reducing employer accountability. It demanded the immediate withdrawal of the amendments deleting Section 25(1)(h) to 25(1)(o) and restoration of all statutory safeguards governing women’s night-shift transportation and security.