Maharashtra Govt Extends Work Hours: Daily Limit Raised From 9 to 12

The Maharashtra government has approved major changes to labour laws, significantly increasing daily working hours for employees in factories and establishments. Chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the state cabinet cleared amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act, 2017. The most crucial change is the extension of daily work hours from nine to 12 in factories, aligning Maharashtra with states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Tripura, which have already adopted similar measures. Officials said the reforms are aimed at boosting investment, enhancing productivity, and creating more job opportunities across sectors.

Under the revised Factories Act provisions, the daily limit of working hours has been extended from nine to 12, while the mandatory rest break will now be provided after six hours instead of five. Weekly working hours have also increased from 10.5 to 12. In addition, the overtime cap has been raised from 115 to 144 hours per quarter, provided workers give written consent. Authorities stressed that employees will continue to enjoy wage protection and receive double pay for overtime. The government stated that these changes will allow industries to maintain operational continuity during high demand or workforce shortages.

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For shops and commercial establishments with more than 20 workers, daily working hours have been raised from nine to 10, with provisions for urgent duty extending up to 12 hours. The permissible overtime limit has also gone up from 125 to 144 hours. Meanwhile, establishments employing fewer than 20 people have been given relief from obtaining registration certificates. Instead, employers will only be required to provide a simple intimation to authorities before commencing operations. The state said this relaxation would make compliance simpler for small businesses while reducing red tape.

The government highlighted that these amendments are intended to strengthen the ease of doing business in Maharashtra, attract more investments, and improve labour market efficiency. Officials emphasized that while the reforms increase work hours, they also safeguard employee rights by ensuring higher overtime wages and legal protection. The labour department, which introduced the proposal last week, argued that these measures will benefit both employers and workers by creating flexibility, addressing long-pending concerns, and improving opportunities for women in the workforce. Authorities maintain that the balance between economic growth and labour welfare will remain central to the implementation of the new rules.