Citing CM’s opposition to amendment as EPS demands immediate withdrawal

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday urged the DMK government to immediately withdraw the amendment, which provide flexible working hours to employees, including increasing the working time to 12 hours.

Amid opposition from various political parties, including allies of the ruling DMK, the state government passed a Bill to amend the Factories Act, 1948 Bill allowing 12-hour work schedule in factories.

Stating that eight hours work was adopted for several decades by the people as their basic rights, Palaniswami, in a statement said, in 2020 when the Centre came out with new labour rules, which said that minimum 48 hours to be worked in four days with three days holiday, was opposed by the then opposition leader MK Stalin.

The AIADMK leader also condemned the DMK government for passing Factories Act Bill without unanimous decision on April 21 allowing the employers to extend the working hours to 12.

“Even the DMK allies, which supports everything, have opposed the bill and staged a walkout from the Assembly,” he pointed out.

Claiming that during the then AIADMK regime under the leadership of late J Jayalalithaa such anti-public acts and schemes were not implemented.

“We cannot keep our eyes closed when DMK government is acting against people’s welfare. Therefore, the DMK government should immediately withdraw the anti-labour law,” he said adding, “otherwise, the AIADMK will take all steps to protect the labourers in the state.”