The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
Withdraw the Gujarat Ordinance Amending Factories Act
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) strongly condemns the amendments made to certain key provisions of the Factories Act, 1948 by the Gujarat government.
The BJP government has resorted to the ordinance route to promulgate the Factories (Gujarat Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 on July 1. Through this amendment the working day of factory workers is being increased from the existing nine to twelve hours. It also facilitates the deployment of women workers in night shifts, without making adequate provisions for their concerns including safety and security.
The promulgation of this Ordinance on the eve of the General Strike called by ten central trade unions reflects the BJP’s contempt for the working class and their demands. It is yet another example of its authoritarianism.
The BJP government of Gujarat under the ruse of ‘ease of doing business’ has been notorious in not only doing away with some of the bare protections given to workers, but also in its failure to implement even the existing safeguards provided to workers.
The CPI(M) reiterates its support to the July 9 General Strike and calls upon the Gujarat government to immediately withdraw the ordinance. It calls upon the workers of the country, including Gujarat, to give a befitting reply to the government by making the General Strike a success.