India’s new labour codes mark a major shift in workplace regulation: expanding working hours, introducing mandatory salary slips, and more. The upcoming CRUSHED25 report, releasing on 18 July 2025, examines how these changes compare to the real conditions faced by factory workers across states.

The new OSH Code and Working Hours 

The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH & WC) Code, 2020 introduced an important  change: increasing the “spread over” of daily working hours from 10.5 to 12 hours. While a 48-hour weekly cap is referenced (Chapter VII, Section 25), it is not firmly embedded in the law, leaving room for employer discretion and weak oversight. 

Indian States Are Already Legalising Long Shifts 

Despite India's ratification of the ILO’s Hours of Work Convention (1919), several states have already embraced diluted protections: 

• Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, UP & Uttarakhand (2020): Used pandemic powers to extend workdays. 

• Tamil Nadu (2023): Amended the Factories Act to permit 12-hour days with consent, keeping a 48-hour weekly cap (this cap was later withdrawn) 

• Karnataka (2025): Proposed raising daily hours to 10 (up to 12 with overtime) in select sectors and tripling overtime limits 

• Andhra Pradesh (2025): Raised standard work hours to 10 hours/day, with up to 12 hours including overtime 

CRUSHED25 chapter on ‘The New Labour Codes – Impact and Implications’ 

The upcoming CRUSHED25 report includes a new dedicated chapter titled “The New Labour Codes – Impact and Implications”, examining how these legislative changes have played out on the ground. 

“SII data shows that most injured workers already worked 12-hour shifts, and the Code’s provisions risk formalising this overwork.” 

This chapter interrogates the dangerous disconnect between law on paper and life in the factory, where legislative ambiguity often means worker vulnerability. 

The same chapter also explores several critical and interconnected issues, including: 

• Under-reporting of accidents 

• Unsafe machinery and hazardous conditions 

• Lack of training 

• Wage theft and absence of pay slips 

• Gaps in implementation and enforcement 

These findings offer a comprehensive view of how diluted enforcement and legal grey zones continue to harm India’s industrial workforce, and thereby Indian Labour Productivity. 

Join the Release on CRUSHED25 on 18 July (Friday) 

The CRUSHED25 Report officially releases on 18 July 2025.  This blog is just one window into the findings. 

Join the launch, follow the conversation, and spread the word 

📅 Date: 18th July 2025  

🕒 Time: 11 am - 3.30 pm IST  

📍 Location: Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi -110003 (Hybrid event)  

🔗 Register now: https://s.zoom.us/m/bPFf2rCXM 

 Written by- Dhanraj B

Senior Manager - Advocacy

We look forward to your support of the cause of Indian workers. We would welcome your support.

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