Mallikarjun Kharge expresses disagreement with L&T Chairman's 90-hour work week suggestion

A labourer works for eight hours and gets tired and that is why Nehru and Ambedkar had stated while making Factory Act that workers should not be made to do more than eight hours of work, he said.

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday thanked Larsen & Toubro for carrying out the construction of new party headquarters but disagreed with its Chairman S N Subrahmanyan's suggestion of a 90-hour work week.

At the inauguration of 'Indira Bhavan' located at 9A, Kotla Road here, he lauded the work done by the construction major. "I would like to thank L&T construction. Some dues are also left from our side," Kharge said as the audience burst into laughter.

He then thanked the company, architects and labourers involved in the construction and then referred to Subrahmanyan's controversial comments.

"While I thank the company, the company's CEO has made a remark of working 90 hours in a week. I don't agree with that," the Congress chief said adding a labourer works for eight hours and gets tired and that is why Jawahar Lal Nehru and BR Ambedkar insisted on eight hours of work while drafting the Factory Act.

"After that someone said nine hours, but he (L&T chief) is now talking of 12 hours, 14 hours, he should leave that (view), but I thank the company because they have done a very good job. I would also like to thank the labourers for their hard work," Kharge said.

Subrahmanyan's remarks advocating a 90-hour work week and suggesting that employees should even give up Sundays sparked an outrage. "How long can you stare at your wife," he had said in a video address to employees. Earlier, Infosys co-founder N Narayana Murthy had suggested a 70-hour work week.