The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) says Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s remarks to Dutch business leaders could encourage employers to expect availability beyond normal hours.
NDTV Profit reported Wednesday that KITU issued a statement on Oct. 28, signed by general secretary Suhas Adiga. The outlet said the union viewed the remarks as a risk that employers could expect staff to remain available at night or on weekends. KITU’s objections and requested remedies have been reported by NDTV Profit alone.
Moneycontrol and NDTV Profit reported that Goyal told business leaders Indian employees would not remind employers when the workday had ended or the weekend had begun. India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Goyal co-chaired the India-Netherlands Business Forum in The Hague on Oct. 26 with Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Sjoerd Sjoerdsma. The ministry’s release confirms the forum and its attendance, but does not include the reported remarks.
NDTV Profit said KITU warned that normalizing longer hours could reduce respect for working-hour limits, weekly rest and labor protections. The outlet reported that the union cited possible effects on workers’ health, family relationships and social lives. KITU called for stronger labor-law enforcement and a right to disconnect outside official work hours, NDTV Profit reported.
The ministry said about 200 representatives of Indian and Dutch businesses attended the forum as part of efforts to expand trade and investment. It said discussions covered manufacturing, clean energy and advanced technology. Goyal urged Dutch companies to invest in India and work with Indian partners on manufacturing and product development.
The dispute follows a 2025 debate over working hours in Karnataka’s IT/ITeS sector. The New Indian Express reported that the state withdrew a proposal to extend hours after KITU opposed it and organized six weeks of protests. EconoTimes previously covered online criticism of Goyal’s forum remarks.
