Ordinance to allow states to increase work hours of Employees

The Central Government is to pass an ordinance that will allow state governments to increase the flexibility of work hours of employees.

Highlights

The ordinance will address the issue of shortage of labours. It will facilitate the companies to maintain social distancing. Also, it will enforce code on Occupational Safety, Working Conditions and Health. The code empowers states to notify work hours. The workers under the ordinance will work on extended shifts. Currently, the prescribed working hours of labours according to the act is 8 hours a day.

Why the ordinance?

The State Governments cannot amend laws that are under centres’s list. It shall only work on state and concurrent list. Thus, the ordinance is being passed to help state governments set flexible work hours with a prescribed ceiling.

Difference between Centre and State Lock Down

The States such as Punjab, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka extended their lock down to April 30,2020. On the other hand, the centre has extended the lock down till May 3, 2020.

The law and order of the public is a state subject and lies with the State Government. Thus, the state governments have announced different date. However, the centre has ordered lock down under Disaster Management Act, 2005. In order to do so, the centre declared COVID-19 as “notified disaster”. Disasters and the acts of disasters are centre subject and hence the lock down comes under centre subject.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2020