Gujarat assembly passes bill increasing daily industrial shift timings to 12 hours

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment bill extending industrial work timings to 12 hours a day from the existing nine hours on the support of BJP MLAs amid opposition from Congress and AAP.

The Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2025, which amends the Factories Act 1948, also allows women to work night shifts between 7 pm and 6 am with adequate safety measures.

The bill, which replaced an ordinance promulgated in July, was passed through a majority voice vote as the opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party opposed the revised work hours for factory workers.

Industries Minister Balvantsinh Rajput, who tabled the bill, said the legislation aims to boost investment and industrial development for creating more economic activities and employment opportunities.

Seeking to allay concerns regarding extended work hours and workers’ exploitation, Rajput clarified that the total working hours in a week will remain under 48 hours.

"The Bill allows the state government to increase the number of work hours from the existing nine hours to twelve hours, inclusive of rest intervals, on any day, subject to a maximum of 48 hours a week. This will create more economic activities and employment opportunities," said Rajput.

"This means that workers will get paid leave for the remaining three days if they work for 12 hours in four days and finish 48 hours of work".

Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani alleged that the amendment amounts to exploitation of workers, which flies in the face of the government's claim to financial empowerment of workers.

"Anyway, they are already working for 11 to 12 hours a day, as the nine-hour work shift rule is not followed. If you extend them to 12 hours, the workers will be forced to toil for 13 to 14 hours," he said.

Mevani claimed the extended work hours will adversely affect the health of workers as they will be deprived of sufficient sleep due to long work hours.

"The state cannot progress by forcing poor workers, who are already malnourished, to work for 12 hours," he said.

"The bill claims that factory owners will be required to obtain workers' consent for increasing the working hours. Can a poor labourer turn down this demand? He will be immediately sacked by the owner for refusing to work for 12 hours. There are many alternatives to achieve economic progress, and this is certainly not the way," said the Congress MLA.

AAP legislator Gopal Italia claimed that the bill has been introduced for the benefit of factory owners, not workers.

"What was the emergency to bring an ordinance first? Did workers or unions approach you and demand that working hours be increased? Without the job protection clause, the consent clause had no meaning as workers would be fired if they refuse to work for 12 hours. There must be a concrete assurance that no one will lose their job," said Italia.

Botad MLA Umesh Makwana, who had been suspended from AAP, also opposed the bill and tore its copy.

Minister Rajput told the House that he had alleviated apprehensions of major trade and labour unions after promulgating the ordinance in July.

"I told labour union leaders that they need not worry because provisions of this amendment are temporary. If we find that factory owners are not following norms and workers are subjected to injustice, this bill empowers us to withdraw the amendment," he said.

However, as the Congress and AAP opposed the bill, it was eventually passed through a majority voice vote.

The assembly later unanimously passed The Gujarat Medical Practitioners' (Amendment) Bill and The Gujarat Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) (Second Amendment) Bill, with minor changes in the existing laws.