International Labour Organisation to Review India's Increasing Working Hours

The ILO is expected to release an India-centric report on the issue by July or August, according to a report by the Economic Times.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has initiated a review of India's increasing working hours, following recent amendments to labour laws in several states. The working hours are gradually changing from 8 to 12 hours.

The ILO is currently examining the working hours and schedules of individuals in India, with a focus on the impact of these changes on the country's workforce. The ILO is expected to release an India-centric report on the issue by July or August, according to a report by the Economic Times.

ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting social justice, decent working conditions, and social and economic progress worldwide. It is responsible for setting international labor standards and has previously suggested a maximum of 48 hours of work per week with a rest day given in order to protect the physical and mental health of workers.

The India-centric report will provide a comparative analysis of India with other South Asian countries, and provide recommendations for enhancing working conditions. Additionally, the report will compare the actual number of working hours with the preferred number of working hours among workers.

An anonymous source who is familiar with the development told ET, that working hours and work-life balance are important factors that should be considered when framing labor-related policies. He added, that these aspects are frequently neglected during policy formation, making it essential to draw attention to the issue to garner the government's attention.

ILO hasn't come up with an official confirmation about the report.

In January 2023, ILO released a global report on working hours. It revealed that more than one-third of all workers worldwide regularly work more than 48 hours per week. In addition, a fifth of the global workforce works part-time hours of less than 35 hours per week. The report also emphasized that working longer hours than desired has negative effects on workers' work-life balance.

A 2019 National Sample Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report highlighted that the average working hours of employees in India are among the longest compared to global peers.