CHENNAI: Industries in the state emphasise that a 12-hour working day is needed for competitive manufacturing, handling labour shortages and improving production in certain sectors. They also ensure this will help the workers utilise their time better.
Commenting on the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to amend Factories Act 1948, CK Mohan a Chennai-based small-scale industrial unit owner said, “Thanks to the ceiling of 48-hour work a week, instead of working eight hours every day, industries can extend it to 10 hours to 12 hours depending on their needs."
“This flexibility will help industries like foundries and forging units where continuous work is required during pouring days. Without this, to work 12 hours, industries have to require a new batch of employees for a shorter time period, which is not feasible. Also, this will help avoid incurring more cost.”
Companies in the organised retail sector will also benefit along with manufacturers, CK Ranganathan, Managing Director of Cavinkare said. “It will help us overcome the shortage of workforce and give the inter and intra-state migrant workers longer weekends,” he added. Industry insiders told TNIE the amendment is expected to benefit labour-intensive industries such as leather and tanneries, textiles and engineering.
The long working time will help the knitwear industry overcome problems in the supply chain and various stages of manufacturing such as knitting, dying, spinning, and embroidery, as a delay in a single process can delay the entire manufacturing, according to Tiruppur-based exporters representative (Tirupur Exporter Association) R Sakthivel.