UP, MP and Gujarat Ease Labour Laws

The recent easing of archaic labour laws by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and by Gujarat is expected to help restart economic activity, attract investments, and in the long run, create more jobs. Trade unions, however, warned of erosion of rights of workers. The decision allows employers to raise working hours by four hours and up to 72 hours a week in overtime for workers who are willing, allow third-party inspections for new units, and permit employers to change their working hours. These measures are designed to help industries cope in the post-lockdown period and continue production with limited workers. The only laws applicable to such businesses would be - minimum wages, safety and compensation in case of accidents. Chief Minister Rupani also said that his government will welcome companies operating in countries like US, China to shift to Gujarat. He said that the officials are already trying to attract companies to shift base from China.