LS passes Bill to double overtime hours for workers

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a Bill seeking increase in overtime working hours. The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2016, introduced by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, seeks to increase the upper limit of workers' overtime hours from 50 hours in a quarter to 100 hours in some cases and from 75 hours to 125 hours in others involving 'public interest'.

The Bill was allowed despite strong objection from the Opposition members, who raised concern that this could erode the power of states to decide on the matter.

The government had first introduced the Bill 2014 in the Lok Sabha in August 2014, following which it was referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee.

While the original Bill contained provisions such as relaxation in norms related to female participation in certain industry segments and reducing the number of days an employee should work to be eligible for benefits such as leave with pay from 240 to 90, the government decided not to change those.

"Consideration and passing of the Bill might take some more time. With a view to boosting the manufacturing sector and facilitating ease of doing business to enhance employment opportunities, it has been decided to amend sections of the Act," Dattatreya said while tabling the Bill.

The Parliamentary Committee had raised objections saying increasing the number of overtime hours might lead to less job creation.