The state government of Uttar Pradesh has enforced a major amendment in the Factories Act with the enactment of the Uttar Pradesh Factories (Amendment) Act, following the approval of the President of India.
Under the amended Act, the state government is empowered to allow factory workers to work up to 12 hours a day, provided the total working hours in a week do not exceed 48 hours.
Key features include:
- The daily work limit may be extended to 12 hours (including rest intervals), subject to the worker’s written consent.
- The weekly working hours cap remains at 48 hours.
- The quarterly overtime cap is dramatically increased—from around 75 hours to up to 144 hours—in cases of exceptional workloads.
- Women workers are now allowed to participate in night shifts, provided they give written consent and safety/health regulations are complied with.
- Overtime compensation: Workers doing extra hours will be entitled to double the ordinary rate of wages, as per the amendment.
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The move is intended to boost industrial productivity, enhance the state’s attractiveness for manufacturing investments, and support Uttar Pradesh in its ambition of becoming a USD 1 trillion economy, according to Govt.
Industries opine the extended hours provide greater flexibility for factories to run shifts more efficiently, especially in continuous-process industries, whereas labour unions warn this may increase worker exhaustion, erode work-life balance and lead to disproportionate burden on certain categories of workers.
The written-consent clause for extended hours and night shifts for women is highlighted as a safeguard, but its practical implementation and enforcement remain concern points.
The fact that the weekly cap remains at 48 hours is emphasised by the government as a limit to prevent abuse; however, the details of how shifts will be structured (e.g., 12-hour days four days a week vs. 8-hour days six days) are yet to be fully clarified in the rules.
