Maha govt employees to have five-day workweek

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Wednesday approved a five-day working week for all its employees. However, the officers and employees would have to extend their current working hours by 45 minutes. The decision would be implemented from February 29.

The decision, which was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, will not only help improve the quality of life of state government employees but also curtail fuel and electricity expenses. The decision would benefit close to 20 lakh officers and employees.

Sources said that women and child development minister Yashomati Thakur reportedly expressed her apprehension over the proposal, arguing that it would hamper the functioning of her department. However, other Congress and NCP ministers reportedly pacified her, arguing that the five-day working week was an idea proposed by the late Rajiv Gandhi.

Since many years, Maharashtra State Gazetted Officer Federation has been demanding a five-day working week.

Currently, the working hours of government employees in Mumbai is 9.45 am to 5.30 pm, while it is 10 am to 5.45 pm in the rest of the state. The employees currently get holidays every second and fourth Saturday.

According to the Cabinet decision, the new work hours would be from 9.45 am to 6.15 pm, including a lunch break of 30 minutes between 1 and 2 pm. However, peons in government departments would have to report to work at 9.30 am every day.

An official statement issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) stated, “With the five-day workweek, offices in Mumbai and across the state will have the same working hours. Lunchtime would be for the maximum 30 minutes between 1 pm and 2 pm.”

The statement further stated that offices covered under factory rules, Industrial Disputes Act and essential services such as the police and fire brigade, government colleges, polytechnic colleges and sanitation workers are excluded from this decision.

The statement further said that owing to the five-day working week, expenses on electricity, water, diesel and petrol would be saved. Government employees can now spend time with their families, which would boost their quality of life.

At present, government employees in Maharashtra work for a total of 288 days in a year. They work for a total of 174 hours in a month and 2,088 hours in a year.

“Due to the five-day workweek, the total workdays in a year will be 264. The working hours will be 176 hours per month and 2,112 hours per year,” the statement added.