GO relaxing Factories Act provisions: State govt admits to Karnataka HC that state of "Public Emergency" under Section 5 does not exist

The state government has admitted to the Karnataka High Court that a 'state of public emergency' as envisaged under Section 5 of the Factories Act does not exist to warrant the relaxation of provisions under the Act.

The Bench observed the same while hearing a petition challenging the state government's notification dated May 22, by which it had relaxed the provisions of the Factories Act in light of the COVID-19 crisis.

Pertinently, vide this notification, the state government had increased the number of working hours for factory workers from 9 hours to 10 hours per day, and from 48 hours to 60 hours per week.