Giving a call for a strike on May 12, the joint committee of all trade unions comprising CITU, AITUC, INTUC and the ruling DMK-affiliated LPF on Monday opposed the Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act 2023 which provides for increasing duty hours beyond eight-hour shifts in factories. The Anna Thozhirsanga Sanga Peravai of the AIADMK also opposed the amendment.
At a meeting attended by the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister E.V. Velu, Micro, Small and Medium Industries Minister T.M. Anbarasan and Labour Minister Welfare C.V. Ganesan at the Secretariat, they urged the government to withdraw the Bill adopted in the Assembly.
“It is highly regrettable. We did not expect it from the DMK government,” said A. Soundararajan, leader of the CITU.
He said the Ministers had promised to convey the views of the trade unions to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
Leaders of the DMK’s alliance partners will also meet the Chief Minister tonight and Mr. Stalin may express the government’s stand on the issue.
Mr. Soundararajan said at a time when G-20 countries were reducing the working time to seven hours a day and 35 hours a week, Tamil Nadu had come out with a Bill that had not specified the time. “It does not say that it will be increased to 12 hours. It could be increased to 15 hours or more. Increasing the working hours will not only affect the workers, but also the quality of the production and work,” he said.
Rejecting the argument that IT industries were following 12-hour work time, Mr Soundararajan said IT industry was not covered under the Factories Act.
“The explanations given by the government are not acceptable. The DMK government seeks to turn the clock back on workers’ rights, especially in a State where Singaravelar first celebrated May Day,” he said.
