Industrial shift timings : The Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday (September 10) passed an amendment bill to increase industrial shift timings from the current 9 hours to 12 hours per day with the support of Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) MLAs amid opposition from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The ‘Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Bill 2025’ allows women to work in night shifts between 7 pm and 6 am with adequate safety measures .
The bill, which replaces an ordinance issued in July, was passed by a majority. However, the opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party opposed the revised working hours for company workers. Introducing the bill, Industry Minister Balwant Singh Rajput said that the bill aims to promote investment and industrial development so that more economic activities and employment opportunities can be created.
Allaying concerns over increased working hours and exploitation of workers, Rajput clarified that the total working hours in a week will remain less than 48 hours. ” This means if workers work for 12 hours for four days and complete 48 hours of work, they will get paid leave for the remaining three days, ” the minister said, according to PTI .
Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani alleged that the amendment was exploitation of workers. Mevani alleged that it was contrary to the government’s claim of financial empowerment of workers . He said, ” Anyway, they (workers) are already working for 11 to 12 hours as the 9-hour shift rule is not followed. If you increase it to 12 hours, then workers will be forced to work for 13 to 14 hours. ”
Mevani claimed that the increased working hours will adversely affect the health of workers as they will not be able to get enough sleep. AAP MLA Gopal Italia claimed that the bill has been brought in the interest of factory owners and not workers.
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