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The Wire
18 hours ago
- Business
- The Wire
Gujarat Govt's Ordinance Allows 12-Hour Workday For Factory Workers, Night Shift For Women
New Delhi: The Gujarat government has amended the key provisions of the Factories Act, 1948 by promulgating an ordinance which has allowed it to in the daily working hours of factory workers from nine to twelve, while capping the weekly working limit at 48 hours. The Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, issued on July 1 by the Labour, Skill Development and Employment department, also permits the employment of women in night shifts under a set of conditions, reported Indian Express. The ordinance, promulgated and brought into effect at a time while the state assembly is not in session, seeks to provide 'relaxation to the factories to boost economic activities, attract investment in national importance to new projects and generate employment.' It amends the Section 54 of the Factories Act which allows the state government to notify an increase in daily working hours up to 12 hours, including rest intervals, subject to a maximum of 48 hours in any week. It adds that the increased hours depend on the written consent of the worker. The amended Section 54 also allows the state to extend, through notification, the number of continuous working hours without interval from five to six. According to the ordinance, workers will get overtime wages at twice the ordinary rate and it also ordinance increases the quarterly cap on overtime hours from the existing 75 to 125, subject to the worker's written consent. The ordinance permits employment of women in night shifts from 7 pm to 6 am subject to 16 conditions such as mandatory preventive measures against sexual harassment, proper lighting and CCTV coverage in and around the workplace, a minimum batch size of 10 women workers per shift, deployment of female security personnel, and provision of safe transportation. It adds that no woman worker shall be compelled to work night shifts and that written consent will be required from those willing to opt in night shifts.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Guj allows hiking daily working hours from 9 to 12 for flexi-shifts
Gandhinagar: Gujarat govt has promulgated an ordinance to amend the Factories Act, increasing the number of working hours in a day from 9 to 12 hours, subject to a maximum of 48 hours in a week. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The move, according to the govt, aims to create more economic activities and employment opportunities. In cases where workers are employed for 12-hour shifts, it is mandatory to give them a 30-minute break after 6 hours of continuous work. In another significant change in the provisions of the Factories Act, subject to some stringent safety guidelines, the state govt will now grant permission for women to work round-the-clock in commercial establishments. Previously, the govt adopted a cautious stance on granting permission for women to be employed in night shifts. "With the new ordinance in place, women who provide consent can work night shifts if the industry meets all the necessary safeguards," said an official. Meanwhile, the state govt has also allowed the owners of factories to provide overtime of 125 hours instead of 75 hours in a single quarter. Employees will continue to be eligible for double salary for the overtime hours that they work. "The concept of flexible working hours is accepted globally, but this was not possible under the provisions of the Factories Act. With the ordinance, employees can now work shifts of 12 hours for four days, allowing the industry to adopt flexible shift timings as per their requirement," said an official connected with the drafting of the ordinance. The gazette notification by the state govt stated that the Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Ordinance 2025 has been promulgated as the "state govt desires to grant relaxation to the factories to boost economic activities, attract investment in national importance to new projects, and generate employment." Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The govt said in the gazette notification that an ordinance is being promulgated as the assembly is not in session. Regarding women working in night shifts, the ordinance stated the intention is to "enable the employment of women workers on overtime work, providing for equality and equal opportunity to work and earn, and also to enable the employment of women round the clock subject to the conditions to secure the safety and health of the women workers working in night shifts, upon obtaining written consent from the women workers who are interested to work in night shifts. " According to official sources, these amendments align with the govt's stated commitment to gender inclusivity and workforce empowerment, whilst safeguarding the safety, dignity, and welfare of women workers. "The amendments will foster enhanced women's participation in industrial employment, cultivating an inclusive and progressive work environment," officials said. Companies operating in the state, even major multinational corporations, faced difficulties in engaging women workforces in night shifts as local authorities remained over-cautious in granting permissions. The amendment will facilitate all types of institutions in employing women in night shifts, official sources said.
