OPS demands rollback of TN govt's Bill enabling 12-hour work norm

CHENNAI: Former chief minister and deposed AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam urged the DMK government to immediately withdraw the amendment, which provides flexible working hours to employees, including increasing the working time to 12 hours.

The ousted AIADMK leader released a two-page statement and began with Marxist leader Karl Marx's slogan "Workers of the world, Unite!". The statement began by stating the history behind the struggles that went into bringing the eight-hour work schedule. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the May Day struggle was the pivot of rights such as workers' provident fund, equal pay for equal work, minimum wage, and trade unions."

"Every year, May 1st is celebrated as Labour Day and declared a national holiday because it is to protect their hard-earned rights, and many of their demands are to be won. If the world continues to revolve today, it is because of the modern changes taking place and because of the drops of the sweat of workers."

"The eight-hour work day, a basic right enjoyed by toiling labourers, has been eroded by a Bill introduced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly yesterday. Allowing change in working hours, rest, breaks, overtime, etc. in factories is like harassing the workers. By this, the rights of the workers are being taken away. Most factory workers commute long distances. Due to the current traffic congestion, the travel time to reach the factories is four hours. How can workers take rest during the remaining eight hours? The ruling DMK has passed the Bill on the basis of "investment" without considering how the workers' families can be taken care of."

"When the Central government enacted such a Bill in 2020, it strongly opposed it and passed the same Bill today exposing "DMK's double role". Working 16 hours a day including transportation can seriously affect workers' health. He added that only if the workers are healthy, the country's economy will improve. Without considering all these, amendments in the Factories Act are being brought in favor of the corporates as per their wish."

"When the said Anti-Labour Bill was taken up for consideration in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, I insisted on behalf of the AIADMK party that the Bill should be sent to the Committee. All political parties, including DMK's allies, opposed the Bill. Despite all these objections, the said Bill was passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly which is very painful. It is surprising that the Chief Minister MK Stalin was not present when the Bill was taken up for consideration."

"On behalf of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIAMDK), I urge the Chief Minister to take appropriate steps to immediately withdraw the Bill that can take away the rights of the workers," the statement added.

On Friday, the State government passed the Bill in the Tamil Nadu Assembly amending the Factories Act, 1948, which extends the daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours for factory workers. Political parties, including the MDMK, CPI, PMK, AIADMK, and BJP opposed the Bill with Congress staging a walkout from the Assembly.

On Saturday, terming the day of passing the Factories Act Amendment Bill in the Assembly as a black day, PR Pandian, president, of the Coordination Committee of All Farmers Association said that the government should immediately withdraw the amendment, otherwise, the state would witness another freedom struggle. Ministers of the State are also set to discuss amendments to the Factories Act with trade unions.

The Amendment Bill empowers the State government to exempt any factory or group or class or description of factories from any or all of the provisions of Sections 51, 52, 54, 55, 56, or 59 of the Factories Act, 1948, or the rules made thereunder.

Meanwhile, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Saturday also urged the ruling government to immediately withdraw the Amendment Bill.