4 days ago
10-hr factory workdays bill gets cabinet approval
Panaji:
The state cabinet on Wednesday approved the Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeking to increase working hours in factories from the existing nine to 10 hours.
The bill seeks to amend Section 65 of the Act to increase the total overtime hours from 125 to 144 in any quarter.
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It will be introduced in the monsoon session of the assembly, scheduled to commence from July 21.
Chief minister Pramod Sawant said a bill to amend The Factories Act, 1948 (Central Act 63 of 1948), is in force in Goa. Govt of India had constituted a task force for achieving compliance reduction and deregulations under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary, and to assist states and Union Territories (UTs) in reforming and simplifying regulations and procedures to improve the ease of doing business and ease of living.
The task force has identified various priority areas. Under the 'labour priority area', it was recommended to revise the working hour limits for factories through legislative or regulatory changes. With respect to compliance with the recommendations, state govt or, subject to the control of state govt, the chief inspector, has powers to vary the existing limits.
Accordingly, the department varied the existing limits prescribed under Section 55 and Section 56 of the said Act, respectively.
'With regard to compliance with the recommendations pertaining to the increase in daily hours of work from nine to 10 hours and the increase in the total hours of overtime work in any quarter from 125 hours to 144 hours, it is submitted that they shall require amendment to the relevant provisions of The Factories Act, 1948,' the cabinet said.
