BMS opposes amendments to Factories Act

The BJP-backed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today opposed proposed amendments to the Factories Act on various issues, including the number of hours required to be put in by a factory worker.
The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2014, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 7, 2014, which proposes to amend the Factories Act, 1948.
"Due to mechanisation, the production which a worker was making 100 years ago can now be made within half the time or less.So the present working time has to be decreased to 6 hours or less as per a scientific study," BMS said in a statement.

It added that the concept of 'flexitime' needs to be incorporated in the new laws.
Flexible working hours will be an attractive option for young workers and will help women workers adjust themselves with their household duties.
"Rule making powers of Parliament and Assembly are shifted to an OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) Board containing technocrats. It is also given powers to make its own procedure. It is a highly centralised body with wide powers," the union indicated.

The Board should be a tripartite body since welfare of workers, working hours, leave, health and safety of workers etc are covered under the amendments, it said.

BMS added that threshold limit also needs to be reviewed.
"Factories and manufacturing units which were running with 100 workers 40 years ago can now run with less than 20 workers due to increased mechanisation and computerisation.So the threshold limit has to be reduced and not increased," it said.
The government proposes to enhance the threshold level of employment from 10 to 20 workers (in case of factories using power) and from 20 to 40 workers (in case of factories not using power).