Facing Unfair Leave Policies and Long Hours at Work – How Can I Advocate for Change?

I am working in a textile manufacturing unit in Surat, Gujarat. Here, we are entitled to a total of 6 days of leave per year for staff (1 - Holi, 1 - Rakshabandhan, 4 - Holi). Additionally, staff are required to work on Sundays and are expected to work until 3:00 pm. The duty hours are from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm with a 15-minute lunch break and a 5-minute tea break. If an employee takes more than 2 leaves in a month, the company will deduct their salary. There is no overtime pay for extra working hours or working on Sundays. The yearly bonus is given at the discretion of the company. There is no fixed increment structure; employees have to personally negotiate with the Directors for a salary increase. I have attempted to address these concerns with the Directors, suggesting that they follow Government Labour Rules to ensure adequate rest for everyone, which in turn could enhance productivity. Unfortunately, they have shown no willingness to address this issue. Is there any effective way to resolve this problem? Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Thomas, first and foremost, you need to correct your misunderstanding regarding weekly offs, closed holidays, and earned leave. An employee becomes eligible for a weekly off after working for six days. The list of closed holidays must be declared in accordance with state government regulations, with a minimum of 10 holidays, including national holidays. Regarding earned leave, an employee accrues one day of leave for every 20 working days, totaling approximately 15 days annually.

Concerning the company's working hours, a workday from 09:30 to 19:30 hours is unreasonable. Your efforts to improve working conditions seem to have been disregarded, likely due to the state's reputation for labor law violations. It is disheartening to witness such exploitation within a company operating under the jurisdiction of a state that has produced a Prime Minister for the country.

Are you part of the HR department? Regardless, I suggest informing some employees to approach the Labor Officer (LO) in your area. While it may seem that such exploitation cannot occur without the tacit approval of the LO, initiating action is essential.

Thank you,
Dinesh Divekar