GUWAHATI: The Assam Provincial Bank Employees Association (APBEA) has condemned the recent statement by S N Subrahmanyan, Chairman of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), proposing a 90-hour work week and making Sundays a working day. The association also criticised Infosys Co-founder Narayana Murthy for previously suggesting a 70-hour work week, calling both remarks exploitative and inhumane.
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APBEA noted that Murthy’s earlier suggestion to raise weekly working hours to 70 had already caused concern. However, Subrahmanyan’s recent proposal, reportedly advocating a 90-hour work week and making Sunday a working day, has drawn sharp criticism from the association, which labeled the remarks as “inhumane” and “exploitative.”
“This push for extended hours is not an isolated opinion. It appears to be a coordinated attempt by corporate giants to exploit workers in the name of profit,” the association stated. APBEA argued that such demands disregard employees’ well-being, emphasising that prolonged working hours do more harm than good by diminishing productivity and severely impacting mental and physical health.
To underline its concern, APBEA recalled the tragic death of 26-year-old chartered accountant Anna Sebastian Perayil in Pune last year, reportedly due to excessive workload and stress. The association also pointed to a 2023 International Labour Organization (ILO) report, which highlighted that India has the longest working hours among the world’s top 10 economies.
APBEA further condemned Subrahmanyan’s controversial comment, “How long will you stare at your wife?”, calling it “sexist” and “anti-family.” They demanded an apology, stating that business leaders have no right to make derogatory remarks about employees' personal lives.
APBEA reminded that it was achieved through years of struggle and sacrifice by workers. “The government is constitutionally bound to protect the eight-hour workday and penalise any attempts to violate it,” the association said.
In conclusion, APBEA urged the government to intervene and protect workers’ rights, while condemning corporate leaders for making “greedy and unwarranted” remarks aimed at exploiting employees.