By DC Correspondent
Copyright deccanchronicle
Vijayawada:The Opposition YSRC opposed the Bill aimed to extend work timings in the shops and establishments to 10 hours from eight hours per day and also to allow women to work in the night shift from 8.30 pm to 6.00 am the next day. It demanded a review of the Bill and staged a walkout when the state government refused to accept its demand.The AP Legislative Council presided over by Chairman Koyye Moshenu Raju witnessed uproarious scenes on the third consecutive day here on Monday as the minister for labour and factories, Vasamsetti Subash, moved a Bill ‘The Andhra Pradesh Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Bill, 2025’ seeking certain changes through amendment and to be passed in the House.The minister explained the proposed major changes to be made through amendment to the AP Shops and Establishments Act, 1988, saying that the work timings to be enhanced from eight hours in a day to 12 hours in a day with the thumb rule of working for 48 hours in a week which comes up as average eight hours per day for six days in a week. The minister said that as part of implementation of ‘Ease of Doing Business’, their government wanted to allow the workers to spend two days in a week with the family by working five days in a week to get total working hours to be 48 hours and claimed that the rule position of working eight hours in a day remains unchanged except for some flexibility in working hours by working extra hours on some day and getting it adjusted in other days in a week.Leader of the Opposition and YSRC senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana raised objection to it by saying that it would encourage managements to exploit the workers to work for more hours and would give no compensation of additional hours of work causing a lot of suffering to the workers.Similarly, when the minister proposed for allowing women to work from 8.30 pm to 6.00 am the next day taking instances of young women working in IT sector and call centres with no bar even during night time so that they would be picked up and dropped at their doorstep and adequate security and other amenities would be provided to ensure their safety. The minister pointed out that 24% of women in AP were working while 19% of women were working in India and claimed that their move was to provide equal opportunity for women also to work and to support her family.YSRC senior leader Botsa Satyanarayana raised objection to it by saying that it would cause the managements to trouble the women and exploit their labour and demanded for providing 50% reservation for women to work so that it would help realise equality of women also.Minister for civil supplies Nadendla Manohar intervened and assured to ensure proper safety and security to the women especially working in night shift.Minister for finance and legislative affairs Payyavula Keshav assured to incorporate the changes suggested by the opposition members in the form of issuing a government order.Botsa Satyanarayana asked for reconsideration of the bill before moving the Bill to pass and called it as ‘anti-women Bill’ and staged a walkout from the Council only on the issue.However, the minister moved the Bill and it was passed in the Council as was passed also in the Assembly earlier.
