Stalin puts Factories Amendment Bill on hold amid opposition

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced on Monday that the Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill 2023 will be put on hold amid strong opposition from trade unions, alliance parties and others. The Bill was passed to introduce flexible working and increase the working hours to 12 hours a day for factory workers.
“Based on the views expressed by trade unions and political parties, the Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill 2023 would be put on hold,” Stalin said in a statement released on Monday evening. Earlier, representatives of the joint committee of trade unions, including the ruling party’s Labour Progressive Front, and CITU, strongly registered their protest against the State government for passing the Bill. They spoke in a single voice against the amendment in the Factories Act and demanded the government to withdraw it immediately.
The Bill was passed on April 21 in the State Assembly amidst strong opposition from the alliance party leaders, who demanded the government to forward the Bill to the Select Committee. Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu, however, assured that the total working hours in a week would remain unchanged for the workers who would now have the option to work for four days in a week and avail of three days of leave. “This would immensely benefit women workers,” he claimed. The Bill was, however, passed by voice vote as the ruling DMK enjoyed a majority in the House. The Bill was passed amid widespread protests against the DMK government’s move, including the allies like CPI, CPM, Congress, MDMK, and the VCK, apart from the opposition parties AIADMK, PMK, and BJP.