Shamini 
(C): CPI (M) – twitter
In a major policy shift for labour, the Andhra Pradesh government under N. Chandrababu Naidu has revised the state’s labour laws to extend the mandated length of the working day for private companies and factories from nine to ten hours. This was approved by the state cabinet and is part of the TDP government’s movement under its “Ease of Doing Business” (EoDB) initiative to attract more investment into industry.
The K. Pardhasarathi Information and Public Relations Minister said that relaxing the working hour rules would increase the appeal of the state to investors. However, there has been a significant backlash from trade unions and worker rights organisations regarding the decision.
V. Srinivasa Rao, the state secretary of the CPM, condemned the government, labelling the amendments “anti-worker” and accusing the government of caving in to pressure from the central government and the industrial lobbies. “This is a way to appease the big corporations. It will turn workers into slaves,” Rao said, asking the state to reconsider its decision.
Currently, adult workers in accordance with the Andhra Pradesh Factories Act are limited to working no more than nine hours in a single day and are entitled to a half hour break after five hours of work. Unions are concerned that with a new shift of ten hours, management may exploit the workers by forcing them to work up to 12 hours a day including overtime.
Other amendments involve increasing overtime limits, going from 75 hours to 144 hours, and changing night shift rules. Although women can now work night shifts, the right to a compensatory holiday will no longer be a right but very much at the discretion of management.
Healthcare professionals and labour experts are saying that the long hours will affect workers’ productivity and health. Tensions will be heightened in the state, with a national strike planned against labour law modifications on July 9.
