Tirupur Exporters' Association clarifies on memorandum on labour laws

COIMBATORE: Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA) today clarified that its recent memorandum to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely did not seek any increase in working hours of employees in the industry.

Association President A Shaktivel said it only requested for an amendment in labour laws so that the total number of hours of works in a week, including overtime, was within the stipulated hours.

In the memorandum, TEA had requested for a policy intervention for overcoming major-non-compliance in garment factories through amendment to the Factories Act, 1948.

However, CITU had interpreted it and raised objection stating that the exporters have sought to increase normal working hours from eight to 10 hours per shift, he said in a release.

"It is not correct and totally in contrary to the requisition in the memorandum," he said.