UP Factories (Amendment) Act enforced; allows govt to extend maximum daily working hours to 12

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Factories (Amendment) Act has been enforced in the state after it got President Droupadi Murmu's assent, paving the way for accelerated industrial growth, enhanced production capacity, and more employment opportunities, the state government has said.

Under the new provisions, the state government is empowered to extend the maximum daily working hours in factories to 12 hours, provided that the total weekly working hours do not exceed 48, it said on Tuesday.

The Act also allows workers to perform up to six hours of continuous work without an interval, subject to their written consent.

Additionally, in cases of exceptional workload, the state government may now raise the quarterly limit of overtime work from 75 hours to 144 hours, it stated.

"A key feature of the amendment is the inclusion of a provision permitting women workers to work night shifts, provided they give written consent and that all safety and health measures are fully observed," the statement said.

"Workers performing duties beyond the prescribed daily limit will be entitled to overtime wages at double the ordinary rate of pay," it added.

Principal Secretary (Labour) Atul Srivastava said the amendment will make Uttar Pradesh more competitive in industrial development and strengthen the state's progress towards achieving the goal of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy.