Working class stabbed on the back - working hours increased from 8 hours a day to 12 hours a day..

By shedding blood and making immense sacrifices, the working class has achieved it's goal of "8 hour working day". The International Labour Organisation (ILO), in it’s convention held in 1919, has proclaimed 8 hours of work in a day and 48 hours of work in a week. Indian government has ratified this decision of the ILO convention in 1921. 

 

However, now, at a time when India is under the lock-down, the working hour is being silently increased from 8 hours a day to 12 hours a day. In fact, ever since coming to power, the Modi government has been seriously taking efforts to change the Factories Act, 1948, so as to increase the working hours. However, the Central Trade Unions have organised several strikes to stop it. Even on April 13, 2020, they have written to the Union Labour Minister, opposing the increase of the working hours.

 

At the same time, the Indian corporates, being represented by the CII (Confederation of Indian Industries), etc., are also mounting pressure on the government to increase the working hours. As a result, even when, the Central Trade Unions are resisting, many state governments, with the tacit support of the Modi government, have silently increased the working hours from 8 hours to 12 hours a day. These states include Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha. 

 

Many more states are likely to implement it soon. The Central and State Governments are utilising the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country today, and are stabbing on the back of the working class and are serving the corporate class. Now, the Indian working class has to fight back, to restore it's hard won right of "8 hour working day".

[Date : 17 - Sep - 2020]