New draft rules for the Code on Wages allow governments to decide the normal daily work hours, currently fixed at eight, prompting labour economists and workers’ representatives to express fear about exploitation by private employers. ADVERTISEMENTCritics said the new draft rules for the Code on Wages were worse than the olddraft rules or the existing Minimum Wage Act of 1948 in some respects. The new draft rules do not specify the daily work hour limit, leaving it to the Centre (and the state governments, since labour is a concurrent subject) to notify. The ministry has circulated new draft rules for the Industrial Relations Code and the Social Security Code, too. “Though the government has kept 48 hours as the weekly working hours, the lack of clarity on the daily work hours can be (exploited) by the state governments, which may notify up to 12 hours of work a day,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph January 02, 2026 07:49 UTC