The Maharashtra Government is considering a proposal to raise the maximum daily working hours for private sector employees to 10 hours a day from the present nine, media reports said. 

The state labour department presented the proposal to the state cabinet in Mumbai on Tuesday. The proposal plans to make revisions to the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017, which regulates working hours in shops, hotels and other businesses in the state. 

Maximum Daily Working Hours

Labour Minister Akash Fundkar said on Wednesday that the Maharashtra Government is considering raising the maximum daily working hours for private sector workers from nine to 10 hours a day. The proposed changes are expected to bring flexibility to workplaces and bring state labour laws into line with global standards, the minister said.

It was found that employees in many private establishments put in more hours than are recommended but are not compensated for the extra work. According to the minister, this is one of the reasons the government was considering extending the working hours.

Permissible Overtime At Workplace

According to media reports, among the major amendments, the labour department has proposed raising the permissible overtime from 125 to 144 hours in three months. The proposal also emphasised revising provisions related to continuous working hours with mandatory breaks. The proposed changes would create a more comfortable working environment and address the long-standing concerns of employees and employers, media reports said.

Once the labour codes are finalised, women will also be able to work late hours. In the existing rules, shops and establishments with 10 or fewer workers were not under the jurisdiction of the ministry. The revised proposal would increase the number to 20, the minister said.

According to Fundkar, no final decision has yet been made on any of the issues. All the proposals are being examined.