10 September,2025 06:51 PM IST | Gandhinagar | mid-day online correspondent
Gujarat Assembly. Pic/X
The Gujarat Assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment bill allowing industrial work timings to be extended to 12 hours a day from the existing nine hours, with support from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, amid opposition from the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), news agency PTI reported.
The Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2025, which amends the Factories Act, 1948, also permits women to work night shifts between 7 pm and 6 am, provided adequate safety measures are in place.
The bill, which replaced an ordinance promulgated in July, was passed through a majority voice vote as Congress and AAP opposed the revised work hours for factory workers, PTI reported.
Industries Minister Balvantsinh Rajput, who tabled the bill, said the legislation aims to boost investment and industrial development, creating more economic activities and employment opportunities.
Seeking to allay concerns regarding extended work hours and workers' exploitation, Rajput clarified that the total weekly working hours would remain under 48 hours, PTI reported.
"The Bill allows the state government to increase the number of work hours from the existing nine hours to twelve hours, inclusive of rest intervals, on any day, subject to a maximum of 48 hours a week. This will create more economic activities and employment opportunities," said Rajput.
"This means that workers will get paid leave for the remaining three days if they work for 12 hours in four days and finish 48 hours of work."
Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Jignesh Mevani, alleged that the amendment amounts to exploitation of workers, contradicting the government's claim of financial empowerment for them.
"Anyway, they are already working for 11 to 12 hours a day, as the nine-hour work shift rule is not followed. If you extend them to 12 hours, the workers will be forced to toil for 13 to 14 hours," he said, adding that the extended work hours would adversely affect the health of the workers, depriving them of sufficient sleep.
"The state cannot progress by forcing poor workers, who are already malnourished, to work for 12 hours," stated Mevani.
"The bill claims that factory owners will be required to obtain workers' consent for increasing the working hours. Can a poor labourer turn down this demand? He will be immediately sacked by the owner for refusing to work for 12 hours. There are many alternatives to achieve economic progress, and this is certainly not the way," the Congress MLA further stated.
Meanwhile, AAP legislator Gopal Italia claimed the bill was introduced for the benefit of factory owners, not workers.
"What was the emergency to bring an ordinance first? Did workers or unions approach you and demand that working hours be increased? Without the job protection clause, the consent clause had no meaning as workers would be fired if they refuse to work for 12 hours. There must be a concrete assurance that no one will lose their job," said Italia.
Botad MLA Umesh Makwana, who had been suspended from AAP, also opposed the bill and tore its copy in the House.
Minister Rajput told the assembly that he had addressed concerns of major trade and labour unions after the ordinance was promulgated in July.
"I told labour union leaders that they need not worry because provisions of this amendment are temporary. If we find that factory owners are not following norms and workers are subjected to injustice, this bill empowers us to withdraw the amendment," he said.
However, with Congress and AAP opposing the bill, it was eventually passed through a majority voice vote.
Later, the assembly unanimously passed The Gujarat Medical Practitioners' (Amendment) Bill and The Gujarat Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) (Second Amendment) Bill, with minor changes to existing laws.
(With PTI inputs)
