Stalin puts Factories Amendment Bill on hold amid opposition

CHENNAI: Succumbing to pressure from trade unions and alliance parties, the State government on Monday decided to put on hold the Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill 2023 enabling 12 hours work per day.

In a statement released barely a couple of hours after a ministerial delegation held talks with the joint committee of trade unions, Chief Minister M K Stalin said, "DMK government will always be a well-wisher and a shield of the workers."

The government, which walks on the path laid by Periyar, Anna and Kalaignar, would demonstrate as much resolve in respecting the contrarian views of the people and oblige them as it does in moving a Bill in the House, the Chief Minister added.

"Based on the views expressed by the trade unions and political parties on the Bill passed in the State Assembly, further action on the 2023 Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill will be put on hold," Stalin announced, elaborating that the three-member ministerial delegation that held talks with the trade unions assured that the government would never compromise on the welfare of workers.

Stating that the ministers had detailed the provisions of the amendment and guaranteed the trade unions that only a few factories belonging to specific sectors would be given conditional exemption (to increase working hours up to 12 hours per day) after providing conducive working conditions, the CM said that the trade unions apprised the government in detail of the complications and difficulties that would be encountered by the workers if the amendment were put to effect.

Earlier, registering their views in the meeting with minister's EV Velu, TM Anbarasan and CV Ganesan, the joint committee of trade unions and also the ruling DMK's LPF strongly registered their protest against the Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill 2023 to introduce flexible working and increase the working hours to 12 hours a day.

Responding to the government's decision to 'hold' the Bill, CITU president A Soundararajan said that the Chief Minister has avoided a major ideological and political 'division' by obliging the trade unions. "The protests called for by the trade unions are unnecessary now. However, the joint committee will discuss and take a call," he added, thanking the CM for the decision.