The Employers’ Federation of Southern India (EFSI) has requested the Tamil Nadu government to allow all industrial units to run night shifts despite the curfew.

Due to increasing Covid-19 infections, the State government announced stringent restrictions a few days ago including a 10 pm to 4 am curfew from April 20. However, continuous process industries and units manufacturing essential commodities are are exempted.

Allowing only a few industries to operate during the night shift will indirectly result in a ban on operation of other vital industries critical to growth of the economy that is recovering from the previous lockdown, it said.

EFSI has asked the government to allow other industries also to operate during the curfew as it will not cause any harm to the government’s efforts in controlling the pandemic.

“In any case these industries, are permitted to function without any hindrance during the day shift. Therefore, their continued functioning in the night shift with necessary health protocols will not affect the intended objective behind the lockdown,” R Srikanth, President of EFSI said in his letter to the State Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan.

“Employers and employees will continuously take efforts in supporting the steps taken by the government in complying with the curfew as applicable to factories exempt from the curfew,” he added.

All standard operating practices are in place and they comply with safety norms. It is essential to allow the units to operate at night for coordination of various connected activities such as logistics and supply and to support the economic revival in the State, said the Federation.

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