IT union objects to Minister’s pitch that Indians will work beyond office hours

The Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees Union (KITU) has condemned the remarks by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal at the India-Netherlands Business Forum, where he pitched India as a great investment destination, saying, “Nobody in India will tell you it’s 5 o’clock. And certainly, no Indian will ever remind you it’s the weekend.”

KITU claimed that such remarks effectively give corporations a free hand to disregard working hour regulations, weekly holidays, and safeguards in labour laws.

“By projecting that Indian workers will remain available to employers at all hours, including weekends, the Minister is promoting a culture of chattel slavery,” the union remarked, while also equating the Minister’s comments to similar remarks previously made by Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and the L&T Chairperson S. N. Subrahmanyan, who advocated long working hours.

On October 26, Mr. Goyal tried to pitch the ‘hardworking nature of Indians’ to European business leaders. “Nobody in India will tell you it is 5 o’clock. And certainly, no Indian will ever remind you it is the weekend. And that is what I bring to the table. Economies of scale, for your business to grow into a dimension you probably can never even imagine. Because everything in India is to scale.”

KITU pointed out that such relentless glorification of overwork places corporate profits above workers’ dignity, health, and fundamental rights, and that Indian workers are already facing extended working hours, workplace stress, burnout, and the erosion of personal and family life.

“Time for rest, family, social participation, and personal development is not a privilege granted by employers; it is an essential part of a dignified human life. The normalisation of brutal and inhumane labour extraction, and disregard for labour protections by a Union Minister are unacceptable. Instead of echoing corporate interests, the government must uphold workers’ rights and ensure the effective enforcement of labour laws and international labour standards,” demanded Suhas Adiga, General Secretary at KITU.

While politicians such as Karti Chidambaram from the opposition have criticised the Minister’s remarks, industrialists and entrepreneurs, including Harsh Goenka and Ashneer Grover, defended Mr. Goyal’s position.