The Gujarat government has introduced significant changes to labour regulations through the Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which brings notable amendments to the Factories Act, 1948.
This ordinance, promulgated on July 1 by the state’s Labour, Skill Development, and Employment Department, has been issued while the Gujarat Legislative Assembly is not in session.
Purpose of the Ordinance
According to the official notification, the ordinance has been introduced “to grant relaxation to factories to boost economic activities, attract investments in projects of national importance, and generate employment opportunities.”
Key Amendments in the Ordinance
🔹 Extension of Daily Working Hours
The ordinance amends Section 54 of the principal Act to increase the permissible daily work duration from 9 hours to 12 hours per day, while maintaining the weekly work cap at 48 hours as per Section 51. This change allows factories more flexibility in scheduling, but with the following safeguards:
-
Workers must give written consent to work beyond 9 hours a day.
-
If a worker opts for a 12-hour shift, the remaining days of the week must be paid holidays to ensure compliance with the weekly hour limit.
🔹 Increase in Continuous Work Hours Without Break
Another change under Section 54 enables the state government to extend the continuous working hours without a break from 5 hours to 6 hours, via official notification, thereby increasing workplace flexibility. However, adequate rest intervals and conditions must be maintained.
🔹 Overtime Limit Raised
The ordinance significantly increases the overtime cap from 75 hours to 125 hours per quarter. Workers must be paid twice their ordinary wages for overtime.
-
Similar to extended daily hours, written consent is required for undertaking overtime work.
🔹 Night Shift Provision for Women
A groundbreaking change in the ordinance is the amendment permitting women to work night shifts, defined as the hours between 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
This comes with 16 strict conditions designed to ensure the safety, dignity, and well-being of female employees. These include:
-
Mandatory preventive measures against sexual harassment.
-
Establishment of grievance redressal mechanisms and legal procedures.
-
Assurance of a safe, clean, and respectful work environment.
-
Installation of proper lighting and CCTV surveillance inside and around the workplace.
-
Batch size requirement: No woman shall work alone in a group of fewer than 10.
-
Presence of women security personnel during night shifts.
-
Transport facilities to and from the workplace.
