Karnataka exempts units from labour laws for 3 months, allows 60-hr week

Karnataka to bear cost of travel of migrants and stranded persons to their respective states via Sharmik trains up to May 31

The Karnataka government on Friday exempted all factories from labour law provisions on working hours on weekly and daily basis for three months till August 21.

The state government issued a notification allowing factories to extend working hours up to 10 hours a day and 60 hours a week till August 21. The extension of workhours is from the current eight hours a day and 48 hours a week. 

"In exercise of powers conferred under Section 5 of Factories Act, 1948 (Act No.63 of 1948), the Government of Karnataka is pleased to order that all the factories registered under Factories Act, 1948 shall be exempted from the provisions of Section 51 (weekly hours) and Section 54 (daily hours), and with effect from May 22 to August 21, 2020," the notification said.

The exemption order, however, mandates that no adult worker shall be allowed or required to work in a factory for more than 10 hours in a day and 60 hours in a week.

"Provisions of Section 59 pertaining to overtime wages shall continue to be applicable without any change," said the order.

The order was issued under Section 5 of Factories Act, 1948. The exemption will enable factories, including manufacturing and processing units across the southern state to make their employees work for more than the stipulated hours on daily and weekly basis.

In another move, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa yesterday announced that the Karnataka government will bear the cost of travel of migrant labourers and stranded persons to their respective states via Sharmik trains up to May 31.

"The Government has considered the plea of migrant workers, who were unable to bear the travel expenditure to go back to their home town," said the CMO in a tweet. The CMO further tweeted that the State government considers the migrant labourers "as their own people."

"Government considers migrant workers, who have come from far-flung parts of our country, as our own people and it is my firm belief that they too must be supported by the State," the Karnataka CMO said further in another tweet.

"Therefore, Karnataka government will bear the cost of travel of migrant workers and stranded persons to their respective States by Shramik Trains up to May 31," added the CMO.