CHENNAI: Labour Minister CV Ganesan on Wednesday introduced a Bill to amend the Factories Act 1948 to enable factories to fix flexible working hours.
The Bill said the Act is being amended following representation from many industries and industry associations to bring out working hours reforms, by making statutory provisions flexible working hours, citing the number of benefits it could bring to workers, especially to women employees, the industry and economy as a whole.
The Bill also pointed out that Section 127 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 enables the State government to provide for flexible working hours including overtime and spread over hours, inclusive of rest intervals, subject to such conditions and restrictions as applicable to any factory or class of factories. The Code subsumes 13 labour enactments, including the Factories Act, of 1948, relating to the occupation, safety, health and working conditions of workers.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin introduced a Bill to dispense with the requirement of obtaining a license for gymnasiums. The Bill seeks to amend Section 35 of the Chennai City Police Act, 1888. This Bill has been introduced to give effect to the announcement made by the Chief Minister on May 5, 2022, in Trichy during the Traders’ Day conference.