
‘No time for life': Andhra Pradesh's new 10-hour work rule slammed by employees
The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to raise the maximum working hours from nine to 10 per day in a move that has led to outrage and backlash on social media. This decision from the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh will allow private companies and factories to increase their maximum working hours to 10 per day, up one hour from the earlier nine. The decision to increase working hours from 9 to 10 has drawn criticism (Representational image) {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}}
As per a PTI report, the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister K Parthasarathy said that it has been decided to amend labour laws to make them 'favourable' to workers and investors.
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}}
However, workers on social media struggled to see how increased working hours would be 'favourable' for them. The move has also drawn the ire of trade unions, Criticism of 10 hours per day policy {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}}
On social media, users said that increased work hours would benefit only business owners at the cost of employees. Many were of the opinion that private companies would implement 10 hours as mandatory policy, further affecting work-life balance. {{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
On social media, users said that increased work hours would benefit only business owners at the cost of employees. Many were of the opinion that private companies would implement 10 hours as mandatory policy, further affecting work-life balance. {{/usCountry}}
{{^usCountry}}
'Good for financial growth. What about mental health? 10 hrs work, 2 hrs travelling, 8 hrs sleep, you have to do everything in left 4 hours,' wrote X user Ankit. {{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
'Good for financial growth. What about mental health? 10 hrs work, 2 hrs travelling, 8 hrs sleep, you have to do everything in left 4 hours,' wrote X user Ankit. {{/usCountry}}
{{^usCountry}}
'So the Andhra Pradesh govt thinks longer hours = better productivity? No, it means exploitation. More hours, same pay, worse lives. Workers deserve dignity, not burnout,' X user Supriya opined. {{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
'So the Andhra Pradesh govt thinks longer hours = better productivity? No, it means exploitation. More hours, same pay, worse lives. Workers deserve dignity, not burnout,' X user Supriya opined. {{/usCountry}}
{{^usCountry}}
Several people said the move will lead to overworked employees who have no time to spend with family. {{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
Several people said the move will lead to overworked employees who have no time to spend with family. {{/usCountry}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}}
'9 hours of working itself was a lot and they still increased it. Overworking your employees has tickled down effects, people will have no time to spend with their families. AP fertility rate is already falling rapidly & you're disincentivizing people from having/raising kids,' an X user said. {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Others noted how maximum working hours in parts of India are already more than the global average of 8 hours per day.
'The Government is hand in glove with the corrupt corporations that want to exploit cheap labour,' a user said.
Dozens of people wondered whether increased working hours would come with an accompanying pay raise. What the AP government says
"Because of this (amendments to labour laws), investors in factories will (come to our state). These labour rules will be favourable for labourers and they will come to invest more. Globalisation is happening in every state. These amendments were brought to implement global rules," said Minister K Parthasarathy. {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}}
{{^usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{#usCountry}} {{/usCountry}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Further, the minister observed that the cabinet has also relaxed night shift rules to enable more women to work in the night shifts.
According to the I&PR Minister, women were not allowed to work in the night shifts earlier but now they can work with safeguards such as consent, transport facility, security and surveillance. Opposition slams move
Meanwhile, K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of CPI, opposed the NDA alliance government's stand on labour laws amendments. He alleged that the Central and state governments are working against the interests of workers.
"For the past 11 years, the Modi government has repeatedly taken measures that infringe upon workers' rights in India," Ramakrishan told PTI on Saturday.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Print
18 minutes ago
- The Print
Beef being ‘weaponised' against Hindus; Assamese people must take ‘non-compromising stance': CM
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office here, Sarma said, 'Earlier, if a couple of Muslim families lived in a Hindu neighbourhood, they would be careful not to create any problems for the Hindus. If they wanted to have beef, they would go to their people living in Muslim-majority areas.' 'But now, it has become such that they will throw away the leftovers and waste around so that the Hindus in the neighbourhood have to eventually leave that place,' he added. Stressing that Assamese people have to take a 'non-compromising' stance to push back illegal foreigners, he maintained that Assam was waging a struggle against forces which had 'sympathisers' across the globe. Guwahati, Jun 10 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday alleged that beef is being 'weaponised' against Hindus in the state, citing instances of pieces of the meat being purportedly thrown in public places after the Eid celebration last week. He cited the instances of beef being purportedly left in various places after Eid last week, including in front of Cotton University here. 'Someone can have it at Eid, but it cannot be weaponised against other people,' Sarma asserted. He rued that no protests were held against the act and maintained that the number of voices opposing such incidents are coming down. 'Good Muslims oppose such acts. They do not post photos on Facebook holding beef,' he said, adding that he received just three phone calls from Muslim persons after these incidents to say that they do not approve of it. The chief minister expressed apprehension that if things move as it is now, 'in 20 years, beef will be thrown in front of Kamakhya temple'. While police have a role in curtailing such incidents, support of the people behind the force is necessary for it to take decisive steps, Sarma added. He asserted that the Assamese people have to take a 'non-compromising stance to protect ourselves' and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was willing to lend all its help. 'Modi ji is saying push back (illegal foreigners), but Assamese people are questioning why push back is happening. Most criticism of the push back is coming from Assamese people… Modi ji alone cannot protect us,' he said. He claimed that all foreigners were sent away from Gujarat by Modi and not a single one went to the court, whereas in Assam, cases are filed daily against action on illegal migrants by Assamese petitioners and lawyers. Sarma said that Congress and its legislative party head Debabrata Saikia had opposed the push back of foreigners in the assembly on Monday, but no organisation has protested their stand or media criticised the party for it. He also cited Saikia quoting in the assembly that then PM Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Act, 1950, which empowers district commissioners to identify foreigners and remove them. 'This goes on to show that Nehru's pro-foreigner stance was from 1950 itself,' he said. 'Our struggle is against forces which have sympathisers everywhere in the world,' Sarma maintained. He said 2,895 Facebook accounts, originating from places like Islamabad, Dhaka and Riyadh are active which write or comment only on Palestine and Assam. 'We are a state surrounded by enemies… we have to do our research and hand over these details to Modi ji, so that he can take it further and enlist the help of agencies like Interpol,' Sarma said. He said that the 'interest' of Pakistan and Bangladesh in Assam was since the time of Independence as it was proposed to be included in erstwhile East Pakistan. 'It is nothing new. When there was friendly government in Bangladesh, anti-India sentiments had decreased, and when Younis came, these sentiments increased. In Pakistan, the anti-India sentiments were always there,' he maintained. 'If we take the initiative (to work against these forces), central government will help us,' he added. Mentioning of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Sarma said that the state government, AASU and others are 'not satisfied' with it. He said the state government has approached the Supreme Court for re-verification of 20-10 per cent of the names in various categories, and though the apex court has not agreed to it yet, 'we believe the court will accept it'. He also cited an SC judgement which states that NRC and deportation of foreigners are not linked. Sarma said that the state government will use the 1950 Act for 'removing' foreigners from the state, with 35 identified illegal immigrants ready to be pushed back as soon as the flood situation improves. Admitting that sending them back will not completely solve the problem, he said that it will ensure that new immigrants will not try to enter. 'Arunachal Pradesh regularly sends back these people and hence, there have fear to go there. We also have to instill that fear,' he added. Sarma claimed that there was a section of lawyers trained by the Congress who helped ineligible people to get their names included in the NRC, though he did not take any names. He emphasised the need for lawyers to represent the 'people of the state' in the Supreme Court in cases on foreigners issue, maintaining that only the government advocates were not enough. 'Courts are for the people… if there are lawyers representing the interest of the people, the judiciary will have a better understanding of the people's problems,' he added. PTI SSG SSG ACD This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.


Hans India
21 minutes ago
- Hans India
Peace restored in Northeast due to PM Modi-led govt's efforts: Tripura CM
Agartala: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday that the northeastern region of the country was earlier known as a terrorist prone area but with the initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, peace has been established in the region and thousands of militants joined into the mainstream of life. Commenting on the 11-year performance of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Modi, the Chief Minister added that with the inclusion of Sikkim with the North Eastern Council (NEC), PM Modi described the region as 'Ashtalakshmi' (symbolising eight forms of wealth and abundance) and initiated ambitious developments of all sectors of the region. "After Narendra Modi became the country's Prime Minister, he declared that if the northeastern region was not developing, India would not be developed. Development of 'Ashtalakshmi' is one of his (PM Modi's) priority sectors," CM Saha told the media. He also said that around 11 to 12 peace accords have been signed by the Centre with various insurgent groups and other organisations in the northeast which has brought peace and tranquility in the region. He added that PM Modi is always busy with development, innovation and inauguration of projects and schemes. The Prime Minister's plan and vision is only for the development of poor people and growth of the country, the Chief Minister said, and added that he (PM Modi) stipulated a 'roadmap' for the development of the country and accordingly executing plans and projects. "Prime Minister Modi-led government has succeeded in lifting 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 11 years. What PM Modi promised, he entirely fulfilled them. PM Modi's performance and contributions will be written in history in golden letters." The Chief Minister, accompanied by State BJP President and Rajya Sabha member Rajib Bhattacharjee, said that the Narendra Modi government has ensured border security and improved the country's economy significantly and widely used technologies in all sectors to achieve the expected performance. Chief Minister Saha said that the Narendra Modi government's mantra is "performance, accountability, and good governance" and added that the government is responsive, reform-centric, transforming all sectors and public participation is a significant aspect. Before 2014, people of India witnessed terrorists attacking the Parliament and Mumbai while corruption and nepotism were common phenomena before Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, he added. "With his vast experience he (PM Modi) launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme and following this scheme, we introduced the Chief Minister Jan Arogya Yojana in Tripura for all the people to obtain medical treatment in an affordable manner," said CM Saha, who also holds the Health and Family Welfare portfolio. He said that during the past 11 years, the Narendra Modi government has laid a strong foundation for a truly developed and self-reliant India. Listing many bold decisions of the Narendra Modi government, including the abolition of triple talaq, the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Chief Minister added that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already declared that India is now the world's fourth largest economy while the World Bank identified India's bright prospects in future in economy and growth. The World Bank also categorised India's economy as the fastest growing economy in the world, he said. Chief Minister Saha, former BJP's Tripura unit President, said that PM Modi introduced politics of performance in the country. Noting that a transformational change has now been witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said that after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack under a tit-for-tat lesson within 25 minutes of 'Operation Sindoor', nine terror bases and camps in Pakistan had been destroyed by the Indian armed forces. For women empowerment, a 33 per cent reservation Bill was passed in the Parliament and schemes and plans undertaken for the socio-economic development of the tribals, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, he added. CM Saha, who also holds the Home department portfolio, said that the Narendra Modi government has nearly eradicated Maoist activities in the country and their remaining activities would be finished in a few months. The Chief Minister said that India has got rid of corruption and scams with the PM Modi-led government coming to power in 2014. "Now, the fund meant for the needy people is being delivered directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer, he added.


The Print
29 minutes ago
- The Print
Installation of Ambedkar statue in MP HC's Gwalior Bench complex being stopped by RSS-BJP: Cong
'We have already put forth the official stand of the Congress party on the incident that took place in connection with the statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar in the premises of the High Court Bench in Gwalior. The opposition party also said that the Babasaheb's statue should be installed without delay. New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) The Congress on Monday alleged that the installation of a BR Ambedkar's statue in the Gwalior Bench complex of Madhya Pradesh High Court is being stopped due to pressure from the RSS-BJP as part of a 'well-planned conspiracy'. 'Today we are reiterating our stand that Babasaheb's statue should be installed there, but the RSS people have created a controversy as part of a well-planned conspiracy and they are trying to create conflict,' Congress' Madhya Pradesh in-charge Harish Chaudhary said at a joint press conference here along with senior leaders of the MP Pradesh Congress Committee. He alleged that this has always been the strategy of the RSS and the BJP. 'The Congress party and the entire country accept Babasaheb's contribution to the Constitution, because Babasaheb does not belong to any one class. The rights that people have received are Babasaheb's gift,' Chaudhary said. 'The Congress appeals to the Central and state governments to resolve the obstacle in installing Babasaheb's statue in the high court premises. We all want that Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar's statue should be installed,' he said. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar was to be installed in the high court premises. 'In this case, the entire process was completed with the permission of the high court. Despite that, this process was stopped, it was due to pressure from the BJP-RSS,' he said. 'The Congress party is in favour of the installation of Ambedkar ji's statue. We will do social awareness and political movement to protect the Constitution,' Patwari said. 'I request that those who are creating obstacles in the installation of the statue should apologize for their mistake. BJP-RSS people are behind this entire act. The Congress opposes this,' he said. Madhya Pradesh Leader of Opposition Umang Singar claimed that none of the RSS' 'sarsanghchalaks' was from Dalit or tribal community, which makes it clear that they do not want to give respect to Dalits and tribals. 'BJP-RSS people want to change the history of the country. They want to eliminate the ideas of great people who played a role in nation building,' he alleged. PTI ASK ASK KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.