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 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).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. “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.The deleted provisions covered measures designed to make late-night commutes more accountable — from background verification of drivers and monitoring of authorised routes to safeguards against the unauthorised sharing of women’s phone numbers, email IDs and addresses. The rules also sought to prevent a woman employee from being the first passenger picked up or the last one dropped off. Security guards were required in specified situations, while designated supervisors were empowered to conduct random checks of vehicles ferrying night-shift employees.An emergency mechanism that enabled women employees to seek immediate assistance was also among the safeguards removed, according to 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.KITU demanded the immediate withdrawal of the amendments and sought the restoration of all statutory safeguards governing women’s transportation and security during night shifts. The union also appealed to employees across the IT/ITeS sector to come forward and exert pressure on the state to roll back what it termed the “removal of essential safety measures for women employees”.
