AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) has called for massive movement opposing the state government’s decision to increase the daily working hours of workers from 8 to 10 hours and to allow women to work during night shifts.
In the AITUC State Council meeting, this decision of the Govt was strongly opposed, and the organization demanded its immediate withdrawal. It was stated that the government, by amending the 1948 Factories Act, has increased the daily working hours from 8 to 10 under the influence of industrialists for their own benefit.
Similarly, under the 1956 Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, employers were prohibited from engaging women in night shifts. However, in the present situation—when women face increasing insecurity in public life—the BJP government’s move to legalize night work for women has created widespread concern across society.
After the historic 1886 Chicago workers’ movement, where the demand was raised for 8 hours of work, 8 hours of recreation, and 8 hours of rest, the 8-hour workday became a globally recognized standard, implemented through legislation in various countries. In several European nations, even shorter working hours have been shown to improve both productivity and quality of work—for instance, Denmark has a 33-hour work per week, the Netherlands 31.6 hours, and Berlin 35 hours per week.
In such circumstances, the BJP government in India is pushing society back toward medieval servitude—forcing unemployed youth to despair and suicide by denying them jobs, and subjecting employed workers to underemployment, mental stress, and reduced lifespan.
The Odisha BJP government’s anti-worker and anti-people policies will not be allowed to be implemented—this was the unanimous resolution of the AITUC State Council, which has decided to launch a statewide massive movement.
The State Council meeting, held at Bhagabati Bhavan under the presidentship of AITUC State President Ashok Ku Dash, while State General Secretary Bijay Jena presented the detatail situation & report at length. The council decided that AITUC would launch both independent and united movements in coordination with other organizations.
AITUC also expressed full support for the ongoing movement demanding reinstatement and pending dues of Birla Tyres workers. The council unanimously resolved to demand the immediate withdrawal of the politically motivated suspension order against Mahadevayya, the All India General Secretary of the Gramin Dak Sevak Union, and his reinstatement.
Other key resolutions included: speeding up registration and welfare assistance for construction workers, worker status to scheme workers such as Anganwadi workers and helpers, ASHA and Midday Meal workers, Ensuring Round the Year employment for horticulture assistants and Gram Panchayat Karmachari and increasing wages in line with market rates.
The Senior Vice-President Prashanta Pattjoshi, Gouranga Panigrahi, Vice-President and CPI State Secretary Dr. Prashanta Mishra, and representatives of various Unions including Sura Jena, Harapriya Swain, Namita Sahoo, Prabina Dash, Bidyadhar Mahant, Satyabadi Bagh, Abhishek Satapathy, Surajit Prusty, Kishore Jena, Bindusagar Ojha, Brajabandhu Pradhan, Shiba ch Behera, Panchanan Sahoo, Bhagabat Pratihari, Subash Mahapatra, Debashish Babu, Kamalesh Dash, Bipin Sahoo, Madan Maharana, Ramesh Jena, Bidur Kumbhar, Surendra Sharma, Pradeep Nayak, Subash Jali, Santosh Kanwar, and Indrajit Tandi, among others took part in the disscussion.
On this occasion, Dr. Prashanta Mishra, newly elected CPI State Secretary and National Council Member, along with New National Council Members N. Narayan Reddy and Jayanta Das, were felicitated.
By Jayantha Das
