<div align="justify">Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KSIEU), which held its first general body meeting on Sunday, has invoked Article 19 of the Constitution to seek registration under labour laws.<br />Karnataka, which employs close to 15 lakh people in the IT sector, had in October 2013, exempted IT companies from a labour law for another five years till 2018.<br /><br />The IT sector in the was exempt from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 for the past 14 years now. But owing to the recent spate of layoffs, there has been a constant pressure on the government to bring IT sector in the ambit of the act.<br /><br />“I know that IT sector is not covered under labour laws of the state, but the constitution of the country is bigger than any other law. Before being IT employees, everyone is the citizen of the country and Article 19 allows us the formation of the Unions,” Amanullah Khan, who was elected as the first President of the body, told DH.<br /><br />He also stated that KSIEU is ready to take the fight to a logical conclusion, even if they need to take legal action. Worried at what he called “falling HR practices at otherwise good Infosys”, he said that automation is necessary for the wake of the fourth industrial revolution, but not on the cost of employees.<br /><br />Priyank Kharge, Information Technology and Bio-Technology Minister, Government of Karnataka, told DH that concerns of the employees were of the paramount importance to the state, but they will have to also maintain a balance between the employers and the employees. “We have to realise that job creation will only happen if the investments come,” he said.<br /><br />He said that he will seek legal counsel on the issue, declining to comment further as he has not yet gone through the constitution of the union. The general body meeting, which was attended by over 250 employees in the IT sector, ratified the Constitution of the union. The meeting also elected the office bearers of the union, headed by Amanullah Khan, along with the executive members of the union.<br /><br /><br /></div>
<div align="justify">Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KSIEU), which held its first general body meeting on Sunday, has invoked Article 19 of the Constitution to seek registration under labour laws.<br />Karnataka, which employs close to 15 lakh people in the IT sector, had in October 2013, exempted IT companies from a labour law for another five years till 2018.<br /><br />The IT sector in the was exempt from the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 for the past 14 years now. But owing to the recent spate of layoffs, there has been a constant pressure on the government to bring IT sector in the ambit of the act.<br /><br />“I know that IT sector is not covered under labour laws of the state, but the constitution of the country is bigger than any other law. Before being IT employees, everyone is the citizen of the country and Article 19 allows us the formation of the Unions,” Amanullah Khan, who was elected as the first President of the body, told DH.<br /><br />He also stated that KSIEU is ready to take the fight to a logical conclusion, even if they need to take legal action. Worried at what he called “falling HR practices at otherwise good Infosys”, he said that automation is necessary for the wake of the fourth industrial revolution, but not on the cost of employees.<br /><br />Priyank Kharge, Information Technology and Bio-Technology Minister, Government of Karnataka, told DH that concerns of the employees were of the paramount importance to the state, but they will have to also maintain a balance between the employers and the employees. “We have to realise that job creation will only happen if the investments come,” he said.<br /><br />He said that he will seek legal counsel on the issue, declining to comment further as he has not yet gone through the constitution of the union. The general body meeting, which was attended by over 250 employees in the IT sector, ratified the Constitution of the union. The meeting also elected the office bearers of the union, headed by Amanullah Khan, along with the executive members of the union.<br /><br /><br /></div>