Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 4: The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday approved amendments to labour laws that will allow longer working hours for private sector employees, raising the daily cap from nine to ten hours.

Chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the cabinet cleared changes recommended by a central task force, bringing Maharashtra in line with states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura, which have already introduced similar reforms.

The amendments will be made to the Factories Act, 1948 and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017. Under the new provisions, industries will be able to function without disruption during peak demand or labour shortages, while workers will be entitled to proper overtime compensation.

As per the new rules, the maximum daily working hours in industries will increase from nine to twelve, with rest breaks after six hours instead of five. The legal overtime cap will be raised from 115 to 144 hours per quarter, requiring mandatory written consent from workers. Weekly work hours will also extend up to twelve hours.

In establishments governed by the Shops and Establishments Act, daily work hours will go up from nine to ten, while overtime limits will be raised from 125 to 144 hours. Emergency duty hours will be extended to twelve. The changes will apply to establishments employing 20 or more workers.

For smaller establishments with fewer than 20 employees, registration certificates will no longer be required. Instead, employers will only need to notify authorities through a simplified intimation process.

According to the government, the reforms aim to enhance ease of doing business, attract investment, and create more jobs while safeguarding wage protection and workers’ rights, including double pay for overtime. The labour department, which presented the proposal last week, said the changes would also help improve working conditions for women and address long-standing demands of both employees and employers.