women
Condemning the govt decision to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 2026, KITU cautioned that removing mandatory safety provisions could leave women employees more vulnerable while weakening employers’ accountability for their safe commute.
Bengaluru: Every day, lakhs of working women in the city and other parts of Karnataka leave their homes after dusk and return in the dead of night after completing shifts according to overseas time zones. “The latest amendment to the Act has removed Clauses 25(1)(h) to 25(1)(o), which specifically deal with a range of safeguards for women travelling to and from work during night hours,” an official statement from KITU said. An emergency mechanism that enabled women employees to seek immediate assistance was also among the safeguards removed, according to KITU.
The journey to and from work is often as important as the workplace itself. However, the state govt’s latest decision to roll back a set of statutory safeguards for women working night shifts has triggered strong opposition from the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees’ Union (KITU). The union argued that such measures were particularly important in a sector where employees often travelled during hours when public transport options were limited and roads and commercial areas were less crowded.