‘Penalise if any violation’: MP writes to minister after L&T chairman’s remarks on working hours

PTI, Jan 10, 2025, 8:48 PM IST

Representative Image (iStock)

New Delhi: Following L&T Chairman SN Subrahmanyan’s remarks that he wished employees to work Sundays, CPIML (Liberation) MP Raja Ram Singh on Friday wrote to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asking him to penalise any violation of laws on working hours in offices.

In a letter to the labour minister, Singh also quoted a statement by Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy advocating a 70-hour workweek, and others like Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola and Sajjan Jindal of Jindal Steel Works publicly supporting such a proposal.

Subrahmanyan’s remarks advocating a 90-hour workweek and working Sundays sparked outrage online. “How long can you stare at your wife,” he is heard saying in a purported video address to employees where he urged them to spend less time at home and more in the office.

CPIML (Liberation) leader Singh urged the Union minister to initiate measures to ensure strict enforcement of laws governing working hours.

“It is important to note that not only does working longer hours not ensure increased productivity, but in fact reduces productivity. One of the serious impacts of long working hours is on the health of the workers, Singh said.

Several studies have linked long working shifts to a negative impact on general health, including problems with cognitive anxiety, musculoskeletal disorders, sleep disturbance, and stress,” the Karakat MP said.

“The statements made by the Chairman of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the co-founder of Infosys raises questions as to the practices being followed in the said companies and the conditions of workers working therein,” he said.

The State has a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of workers and to ensure that any violations of labour laws are promptly addressed and appropriately penalised, he said.

“It is therefore imperative for the government to take cognisance of these issues and initiate measures to ensure strict enforcement of laws governing working hours and steps are taken to ensure that workers are not compelled to work beyond the legally mandated limit of 48 hours per week,” he said.

The Lok Sabha MP said India already has one of the most “hardworking workforce” in the world.

“The International Labour Organization reports that, in 2023, Indians will have the longest average workweek among the world’s ten largest economies. Only Qatar, Congo, Lesotho, Bhutan, Gambia, and the United Arab Emirates have higher average working hours than India, which comes in at number seven in the world,” he said.

He said the eight hours work day has been achieved after great struggle, for which lives were sacrificed.

“India’s legalised 8-hour working day came with the 1946 Amendment to the Factories Act of 1934, a result of the Bill introduced by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as Labour Member in the Viceroy’s Executive Council.

Section 51 of the Factories Act mandates that no adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in a factory for more than forty-eight hours in any week and it mandates that no worker should be required or allowed to work in a factory for more than nine hours in any day, he said.

The CPI(ML) Liberation MP added that Directive Principles of State Policy mandates that “the State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that the health and strength of workers, men and women are not abused and that “the State shall make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work”.