The Government of Andhra Pradesh has been criticised for amending the state’s labour laws and making life more difficult for employees in the private sector and factories. The state government has extended the standard working hours from nine to ten hours a day!
At a time when countries around the world are embracing four-day workweeks and thinking of ways to reduce working hours to ensure the well-being of their employees, Andhra Pradesh seems to be going backward to what many are labelling as slavery.
Why did the state government do it? Because it feels the move will increase industrial productivity and help draw investors. This was meant to be a step towards improving economic growth and accelerating development. It was meant to support the Andhra government’s Information Technology and Global Capability Centres (IT & GCC) Policy 4.0, which encourages flexibility and remote working. The state government was only seeking to improve the work-life balance of those working in the private sector, in the longer run.
As per the latest amendment, overtime limit has been increased to 144 hours per quarter and 12-hour workdays have been permitted.
These amendments and labour reforms, however, have not gone down well with labour unions and have invited a lot of criticism from social-media users. Far from ensuring and protecting employee well-being, it violates worker rights and exploits them, feel the unions.
As part of the reform, one positive move that has come about is that women have been permitted to work in night shifts from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. as long as their safety at the workplace and safe commute to and from home are ensured. This amendment has been welcomed by most and is seen as a progressive measure.
1 Comment
It is not clear as to how to treat hours of work exceeding more than 48 hours in a week, whether it attracts overtime benefit to the workers. The maximum hours of overtime work in a quarter of three months might be based on at 2 hours a day (ie. 2x24x3=144) may not be unfavorable to workers which generate additional income. But, if is in addition to 10hrs work per day, then total working hours will be 12 hours or more per day. In case of establishment adopting five days week may also now work Four Days a week at 10hours day!?