Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) State president and former MP Dr Rama Chandra Khuntia has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patanik not to increase working hours for labourers from eight to 12 hours.
“When the world is struggling to deal with the Covid pandemic, increasing labour hour from eight 8 to 12 hours in the name of Covid compulsions is not wise at all. It will reduce the number of persons at work and create health risk of people,” wrote Dr Khuntia to Patnaik on Tuesday.
He said any such a decision, if taken, would be contrary to the established law as Section 51 of the Factories Act, 1948 envisages that no adult (a person who has completed 18 years of age) shall be allowed to work in a factory for more than 48 hours in a week.
“When more migrant workers returning home, we feel what is important is to keep this workforce healthy and make work available at their native places so that they do not forcefully leave homes,” suggested Dr Khuntia.