The Andhra Pradesh government, led by the TDP-NDA alliance, announced a contentious amendment to labour laws that increases the maximum daily working hours from nine to 10 in private firms and factories across the state. The move, aimed at attracting investment and enhancing industrial productivity, has triggered strong reactions from labour unions, opposition parties, and social media users.
According to a report by PTI, Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Minister K Parthasarathy stated that amendments were being made to labour laws to make them more "favourable" to both workers and investors. “Because of this (amendments to labour laws), investors in factories will (come to our state). These labour rules will be favourable for labourers and they will come to invest more. Globalisation is happening in every state. These amendments were brought to implement global rules,” the minister said.
He added, “Relevant sections of laws which allow a maximum of nine hours of work a day have now been raised to 10 hours per day. Under Section 55, there used to be a one-hour rest for five hours (of work); now that has been changed to six hours.”
Further, Parthasarathy revealed that the cabinet had amended provisions related to night shifts to permit more women to work during those hours. “When you work extra, your income will increase. Women can work in the formal sector. They empower women economically and promote gender inclusion and industrial growth. Also, contribute to women's empowerment,” he said.
He also noted that the cap on overtime had been increased from 75 hours per quarter to 144 hours.
However, the move has been met with sharp criticism from various quarters. K Ramakrishna, State Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI), alleged that the labour law changes were anti-worker in nature and were being implemented under pressure from the Central government.
“For the past 11 years, the Modi government has repeatedly taken measures that infringe upon workers' rights in India,” Ramakrishna told PTI on Saturday.
Echoing this sentiment, CPM State Secretary V Srinivasa Rao condemned the policy, stating, “The state is under pressure from the central government to amend rules to appease big industrialists. These amendments will only make the workers slaves.”
Labour unions have also expressed strong opposition. A trade union leader told The Times of India, “This is a betrayal… the policy will turn workers into slaves.”
On social media, the backlash was swift and widespread. One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted: “AP increases daily work hours to 10 for private firms? Is this ‘Ease of Doing Business,’ or ‘Ease of Exploiting Labour’! Workers deserve better. Do you agree with this?”
Another post read: “While in most western countries, you're asked to log out by 4 pm, here in India, the NDA-led Andhra Pradesh government has amended the labour laws to make people work for at least 10 hours in private institutions and factories with the companies paying peanut salaries.”
A third user remarked: “Nine hours of work itself was a lot, and they still increased it. Overworking your employees has trickle-down effects, people will have no time to spend with their families. AP fertility rate is already falling rapidly & you're de-incentivising people from having/raising kids.”
“So, the Andhra Pradesh govt thinks longer hours = better productivity? No, it means exploitation. More hours, same pay, worse lives. Workers deserve dignity, not burnout,” another user wrote.
Others questioned the logic behind the reform, with one user commenting, “Good for financial growth. What about mental health? 10 hrs work, 2 hrs travelling, 8 hrs sleep, you have to do everything in the remaining 4 hours.”
There were also concerns raised about whether the increased hours would be accompanied by increased pay. Some users accused the government of favouring corporate interests, with one stating: “The Government is hand in glove with the corrupt corporations that want to exploit cheap labour.”
A few users highlighted that several parts of India already exceeded the global average of eight working hours per day, and that such policies would only worsen conditions for workers.
In protest against the amendments, trade unions have announced a nationwide demonstration on July 9. All sectors are expected to participate actively in opposition to the new regulations.
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