The Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to laws to increase the maximum daily working hours for private sector employees from the existing nine to 10 hours. According to an official statement, the move is aimed at attracting investments, creating jobs and protecting the rights of workers.
The changes suggested by the central task force were approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. With this, Maharashtra has now joined states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura, where such reforms have already been implemented. The statement said that these amendments will be made in the Factory Act, 1948 and Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Service Conditions) Act 2017.
After the amendments, industries will be allowed to work without interruption during high demand or shortage of workers, while it will also be ensured that workers get proper compensation for overtime. Under this, the limit of daily working hours in industries will be increased from nine to 12 hours. Rest time will be given after six hours instead of five hours. The legal overtime limit will be increased from 115 hours to 144 hours per quarter and written consent of workers will be mandatory for this. Weekly working hours will also be increased from 10 and a half hours to 12.
Similarly, under the amended Shops and Establishments Act, daily working hours will be increased from nine to 10 hours, overtime limit from 125 to 144 hours and emergency duty hours to 12 hours. These changes will apply to establishments employing 20 or more workers. Establishments employing less than twenty workers will no longer require a registration certificate but will only have to inform the authorities under the intimation process.
According to the government, this move will improve ease of doing business, attract new investments, boost employment and also ensure improved wage protection and rights of workers. This also includes double pay for overtime. The Labor Department presented this proposal to the Cabinet last week. The department says that the proposed changes will provide a more comfortable working environment, especially for women, and address the long-standing concerns of employees and employers.
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