Bhubaneswar: The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Khurda district committee Monday staged a protest rally and demonstration at Master Canteen Square, opposing the state government’s recent move to extend labourers’ daily working hours from eight to ten.
Leaders, including Suresh Panigrahi, Pradeepta Nayak, Pushpa Das, Ramesh Jena, Satyananda Behera, and Shailesh Baliyarsingh, took part in the protest. The state government’s decision to amend the Factories Act, 1948, and the Read Shops & Commercial Establishments Act, 1956, permitting women to work night shifts, has faced strong criticism from trade unions, which called it a violation of labour rights and international conventions.
Hundreds of workers from different sectors joined the protest, alongside representatives of central trade unions and labour organisations. A memorandum demanding the immediate withdrawal of the decision was submitted to the State Labour Commissioner and the Principal Secretary (Labour).
Addressing the gathering, CITU state president Janardan Pati and general secretary Bishnu Mohanty criticised the government’s anti-worker, pro-corporate policies. They alleged that the move prioritised industrialists and corporate interests over workers’ welfare. “The government has taken this undemocratic step to appease corporate houses and boost their profits. If the decision is not reversed, a massive state-wide agitation will follow,” the leaders warned.
They also criticised the government for bypassing discussion in the recently concluded state Assembly session, noting that the decision was approved in a Cabinet meeting held shortly after the Prime Minister’s visit to Read.
CITU leaders pointed out that the ILO Convention of 1919 sets the global standard of an eight-hour workday and a 48-hour workweek, designed to safeguard workers from exploitation and overwork. They emphasised that extending daily working hours undermines these internationally recognised protections and threatens the health, safety, and well-being of labourers.
The union announced plans to intensify the agitation across all districts and industrial hubs in the state, mobilising workers from both organised and unorganised sectors, including women, construction labourers, and MSME employees. Protesters also warned of continuous strikes and larger state-wide demonstrations if their demands were not addressed.
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