Bengaluru: In a significant decision aimed at improving industrial productivity which has taken a severe beating due to COVID-19 lockdown, the State Government on Friday exempted establishments coming under the Factories Act from adhering to prescribed daily and weekly hours. Workers will now have to put in more hours of work in factories across the State. The exemption will be valid for a three-month period till Aug.21, 2020.

In a notification, the Government allowed factories to make employees work for 10 hours a day and 60 hours a week. However, the factories are not exempted from paying extra wages for working extra hours.

At present, Section 51 of the Factories Act limits working hours to 48 hours  a week and Section 54 keeps it a maximum of nine hours per day.

Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar told mediapersons that the notification will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting for approval. The exemption has already been given in five other States to help industries tide over the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 lockdown, he added.