Odisha ups overtime limit for factory workers to 115 hrs a quarter from 75

The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved as many as 22 proposals including amending the Factories Act, 1948, and allowing the workers to work 115 hours overtime in three months by enhancing the time limit.

"The overtime limit is increased from 75 hours to 115 hours per quarter, and now the engagement of women workers will be allowed, with consent, between 7 pm to 6 am in factories with the condition that adequate safety, welfare and security measures and safeguards are taken by the concerned factories as prescribed," read an official statement issued by the Odisha government.

"Reduction has also been made in the number of days for which a worker has to work in a factory for allowing him leave with wages in the subsequent year from existing 240 days to 180 days," it said.

Under this amendment, "the threshold for factories is increased to 50 with or without the aid of power from existing 10 (with power) and 20 (without power) respectively. The provisions of the Factories Act shall remain intact for factories with hazardous manufacturing processes."

"In order to attract investment and to create employment generation with a focus on labour welfare and to mitigate the hardship faced by MSME industries due to Covid-19 pandemic situation, the state government has brought an amendment in the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 to increase the threshold from 100 to 300," read the statement.

Earlier, several state governments have made similar amendments to their labour laws and increased the work hours.