IT employee union KITU staged a protest in Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on March 9, 2025. The union submitted a memorandum to the Labour Minister, alleging that IT and IT-enabled services (ITES) companies are extending work hours beyond permissible limits and failing to compensate employees for overtime. The demands come amid growing discontent over work-life balance in the IT sector, with employees often required to work extended hours without additional pay. The state government considered amending the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, which would allow companies to extend overtime and the total working hours a day for an employee. The government had said the aim was to increase the state’s share of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India from 45 percent to 50 percent. Also, the document mentions that the maximum overtime hours are fixed at 125 hours over three months, to ensure that such extended shifts are infrequent. A scuffle broke out when protestors attempted to burn the effigies of two well-known India Inc figures who had made statements on employee work hours. However, protestors ultimately burned the poster, claiming they had done the same during their August 3 demonstration. The protest is not against businessmen, but against politicians who are collaborating with the “foreign multinational’s and Indian multinational’s to delay a decent life for our people”