 On April 21, 2023, Stalin led DMK government in Tamil Nadu past the factory's Tamil Nadu Amendment Bill 2023 in the Assembly. It is a bill to amend the Factories Act 1948. This is to insert many provisions in it which eventually empower the government to exempt any factory or group of factories from certain provisions dealing with the working hours of the workers and their wages. The DMK government could pass this bill with their thumping majority where not only the opposition but also their own allies including the prominent left parties and VCK walked out of the assembly protesting against the bill. Various trade unions quickly and strongly condemned the bill. Protests happened at many places in the state. CITU leader A. Saundar Rajan and leader of the IT employees Union Belkin explained about the issues with the bill. The new amendment is 65A. A new class has been introduced in the current session of the legislative assembly. That bill says that in the factory act section 51, 52, 54, 55, 56 and 59 all these classes may be exempted to one factory or many factories or group of factories like that. Factories can get exemption from these sections mean factories can introduce working hours more than eight hours and then the overtime wages spread over time rest time all these things involved in these sections in these classes. This means that employers can extract the labor of a particular worker workers whatever time they want. That means the government is giving all support. Government is giving every chances to the employers to exploit the workers and to maximize their profit. That is going to be the effect of this amendment. The IT minister has claimed that they have enacted this because of request from IT MNCs and we are shocked to hear that because already IT MNCs are pushing the employees to work beyond 10 hours at walla's citing project deadlines. But now they are going to legalize it once it is legalized. Then the reason to push the workers to 40 hours or 16 hours will be very very much likely and these workers are not being factored in along with the travel time in the high traffic areas where it takes almost one hour or so to reach the office. So considering all this this 12 hour workday will not stop at just walla's it is going to extend to 40 hours or 15 hours considering the work time and the delay the travel time. The Modi government formulated four labor codes which replace many existing labor laws in the name of ease of doing business. Non-BJP ruling states did not implement these codes saying it is against the workers' interest. According to the trade union leaders the DMK also opposed it. But their present government in the state is trying to move in similar lines. This act, this type of exemption have been given in the code occupational health security health and working conditions code already which was passed in parliament already this amendment has been introduced in the code central government's code. But that act has not been implemented so far. Even before that state government of Tamil Nadu is jumped and take this amendment in the assembly in the assembly. This is a shocking thing. The CITU has not expected from this type of an amendment which is affect the workers' health, workers' longevity and everything and also CITU express its deep sorrow and CITU condemn it this amendment. The existing process in the factory act should be there. This type of exemptions to the factories, one factory or several factories or group of factories should spoil the industrial relations, should spoil the industrial peace in Tamil Nadu. Certainly the workers will resist this type of amendment, this type of attack on the workers, especially the on working hours which is more important for the health and longevity for the worker which is totally to be opposed by the trade unions, we are opposing it. Inverse months come with the idea of high exploitation. It is not going to benefit the state or the country. On the other hand, we are highly skilled laborers working in the industry with the lakhs and lakhs of employees produced year on year by the engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu. On that background, we are very attractive state for investments already. Going back to 150 year of work day by this act is something regressive and it is not social justice. So on that background, we like to criticize and we like to reiterate that only skill should be the factor and the manpower should be the factor to bring in more investments, not high exploitation. Once you increase 12 hours, then in a day, you will have three hours shift usually for the current 9 hours work. Once you increase it to 12 hours, then it becomes two day shift and one shift of employees will be unemployed. So it is not going to increase the employment in any factor and it is going to destroy the livelihood of the employees by destroying their health without any consideration to the impacted cost on the family fabrics. So considering this, we demand the government should not go ahead with this. The industrial minister has told it is only for selected sector but again it is flawed because one, the amendment states that they can exempt any industry without any they have asked or they have got the approval from the assembly to exempt any industry. So it is not going to start to stop with single industry. Moreover, the will of the current DMK government to increase the worker which will impact both society and the employees will be extended to all industries and it will not only stop at particular industries. So on that background, we are going to oppose this. So many protests have happened in Tamil Nadu in a short period immediately after the introduction of the bill. CITU and all the other trade unions decided to have a massive protest on May 12. On the 24th evening, along with the sideline of negotiation with trade union leaders, the chief minister's office tweeted that the bill will be on hold. The government was forced to do so because of the united voice of the workers and others concerned. Not only from the state but also got backlash from the various corners across the country. This became a landmark victory for the workers and their rights when May day is around the corner.