12-hour duty bill passed in Tamil Nadu assembly

Tags: State News

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed the Factories (Amendment) Act 2023 on 21 April.

An overview of the news

• The Bill seeks to increase the daily work shift of factory workers from the current 8 hours to 12 hours, meaning they can choose to work four days a week.

• 'The rest three days will be paid leave and the existing rules on leave, overtime, pay etc. will not change.

• The revised 12 hours of daily work has not been extended to all companies and factories, but will be implemented 'only where workers prefer it'.

• The Bill will have no impact on the current 48-hour work-week.

• The law was passed amid strong opposition from various opposition political parties.

• In May 2020, 10 states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Assam, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh – had amended labor laws to propose 12-hour working hours during the pandemic.

• TheUttar Pradesh government had also issued an order increasing the daily working hours from 8 hours to 12, but withdrew it in May 2020.

About Tamil Nadu State 

• The state was formed on 26 January 1950 but its boundaries were redrawn on 14 January 1969.

• Tamil Nadu is located at the mouth of the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

• Bharatanatyam is a very popular and famous dance form of Tamil Nadu.

• Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of bananas and flowers, the second largest producer of mango, rubber, groundnut, coconut and the third largest producer of coffee.

• Governor- Ravindra Narayan Ravi

• Chief Minister- M.K.Stalin

• Assembly seats 235 seats

• Rajya Sabha Seats -18

• Lok Sabha seats- 39