Proposal To Increase Working Hours From 9 To 12 – Free PDF Download

• The central government proposes to replace 29 existing labour laws with four Codes.
• The objective is to simplify and modernise labour regulation.
• The major challenge in labour reforms is to facilitate employment growth while protecting workers’ rights.

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020

• It has defined inter-state migrant workers as the worker who has come on his own from one state & obtained employment in another state, earning up to Rs 18,000/month.
• The proposed definition makes a distinction from the present definition of only contractual employment.
• It will consolidate and amend the laws regulating the occupational safety, health and working conditions of persons employed in an establishment and related matters.
• The government has, under the code, allowed a single licence for staffing firms to hire workers on contract across different locations instead of multiple licences needed earlier.
• It has increased the threshold limit of contractor employees from 20 to 50 under OSH Code.

Now what has happened?

• As part of the draft rules for the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code,
• The Labour Ministry has proposed raising ‘spread over time’ for a worker to 12 hours a day from the current limit of 10-and-half hours.
• ‘Spread over time’  refers to working hours plus the time for lunch and other breaks.

Limit per week

• No worker shall be required, or allowed, to work in an establishment for more than 48 hours in a week, the draft rules state.
• The period of work  shall be so arranged that, inclusive of  the intervals for rest, it shall not spread over for more than 12  hours in a day.
• Weekly working hour consistent with the ILO convention.
• They further stipulate that no worker will work for more than five hours without an interval for rest of at least half-an-hour.
• Subject to these conditions the working hours may be modified so that the total number of working hours in a week shall be so fixed and followed, the rules said.

Quarantine Leave

• The Centre has also introduced the concept of ‘Quarantine Leave’ on full wage that is to be granted,
• For a period not exceeding twenty-one days or, in exceptional circumstances, thirty-days

overtime

• The draft rules of OSH & WC also says those working overtime in a week must be given double the wage.

criticism

• The move has been criticised by multiple quarters, with the All India Trade Union Congress seeking the proposal be withdrawn immediately as the rules go against the terms of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention.
• Juggling multiple roles at home and the workplace, women are more likely to be at a disadvantage under the 12-hour working rule.
• Also the bill passed by Parliament provides for maximum eight working hours in a day.

India vs the World

• An employee in Germany, is expected to put in a total of 1,388 hours of work in a year.
• This comes down to just 28 hours a week.
• In New Zealand, employees work for 33 hours a week.
• While employees in the US, Israel and Russia work for 34, 36 and 38 hours, respectively, in Sweden, Austria and Switzerland, employees work for an average of 32 hours a week.

State govt.

• Recently, several states, including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, introduced laws to enhance work hours to 12,
• To recover the losses incurred during the coronavirus-infused lockdowns.
• The measure was necessitated to boost output amid limited workforce.

Now what?

• The ministry has now sought views from stakeholders on these draft rules in 45 days.
• The Centre aims to pass them by January.

Q) Which of the following statement is/are correct about the Maternity Benefits?

1. It is applicable only in government offices.
2. It is applicable in only those offices which has more than 10 employees.

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 & 2
4. None of the above

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