Following objections by the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees’ Union (KITU) to the omission of several clauses of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, which the union alleged would remove several safety measures for women working night shifts, the Karnataka Labour Department has clarified that safety conditions relating to women employees that were earlier provided under the shops and commercial establishments Act have been incorporated under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Rules.

The State government brought amendments to the Act, 1961, via a notification dated September 4, 2026. This, according to the department, was done in accordance with recommendations of the Deregulation Cell, Union government, and in view of the implementation of the new Labour Codes.

Following this, the union alleged that the deleted rules included mandatory verification of drivers, authorised pick-up and drop routes, confidentiality of women employees’ contact details, and so on. Department officials, however, dismissed such fears, noting that all the provisions, claimed to be omitted, are covered under the Occupational Safety, Health (OSH) and Working Conditions Code. Both the union’s concerns and the official’s response were reported by The Hindu.

“It has been reported in the news article and raised by the IT employees’ union that certain safety conditions relating to the employment of women have been removed from the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. In this regard, it is clarified that the removal of such provisions from the shops and commercial Establishments Act does not mean that safety protections for women employees have been withdrawn,” read a statement issued by the Labour Department.

According to the department, under the amended provisions, establishments employing fewer than 10 workers will continue to be covered under the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, while those employing 10 or more workers will be covered under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 (OSH Code), subject to its applicability.

“The establishments employing 10 or more workers are governed by the OSH Code and the corresponding State Rules. Further, the safety conditions relating to women that were earlier provided under the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act have been incorporated, wherever applicable, under the OSH Rules, along with additional safeguards for women employees working during night shifts and in dangerous operations,” reads the statement.

Since most IT companies employ 10 or more workers, such establishments generally fall under the provisions of the OSH Code, it notes.