Lockdown 3.0: Odisha ups working hours to 12; staff to be paid for overtime

No female workers should be allowed or required to work in a factory between 7 pm and 6 am, unless specifically permitted by the government in this regard, the state govt order said

Considering representations from certain industries and industry associations, the Odisha government on Friday decided to provide relaxation for industries and commercial activities and approved a 12-hour work shift instead of 8 hours, and said payments should be made for overtime for a period of three months during the lockdown.

The official notification issued by the state's labour and ESI department said: "This relaxation will not be applicable to areas declared hotspots and containment zones in different cities of the state. The commercial activities and businesses can start functioning from April 20 but with the due procedure of safety and social distancing."

"No adult worker shall be allowed or required to work in a factory for more than 12 hours in any day and 72 hours in any week, the periods of work of adult workers in a factory each day shall be so fixed that no period shall exceed 6 hours and that no worker shall work for more than 6 hours before he has had an interval for rest of at least half an hour, the total spread over shall not exceed 13 hours." the notification read.

"No female workers shall be allowed or required to work in a factory between 7 pm to 6 am unless specifically permitted by the Government in this regard," it read.

It further read, "Additional four hours of overtime wages per day shall be paid as prescribed under Section 59 of Factories Act subject to an overtime limit of 24 hours per week and Other guidelines under Covid-19 will be observed scrupulously.