RSS affiliate condemns 90-hour work week remark

Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairperson S Subrahmanyan.

Dattopant Thengadi foundation (DTF), an affiliate for the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), which works in the field of social, economic, and labour policy in India, has condemned Larsen & Toubro (L&T) chairperson S Subrahmanyan’s advocacy of a 90-hour week day.

In a communique, the DTF says that the idea of extending working hours to 90 hours per week raises serious concerns about workers’ welfare and work-life balance. It added that such a policy contradicts the principles of quality of life and human dignity that are fundamental to a progressive society.

“Furthermore, it is concerning that an individual drawing a salary 500 times more than a company’s average employee would propose measures that disproportionately burden the workforce. Such disparity in income and privilege should compel greater responsibility toward ensuring equitable and humane working conditions, not the opposite,” it says.

Stating that the true productivity and sustainable growth are driven by motivated, healthy, and empowered employees, the RSS affiliate also added that proposals that exploit labour undermine human capital and violate the principles of fair labor practices upheld globally and enshrined in India’s rich tradition of dignity for labour.

It also advises that instead of extreme work week propositions, industry leaders should focus on innovations in productivity, equitable wealth distribution, and policies that promote a balanced quality of life for all stakeholders. Collaboration between employers and workers must center on mutual respect and shared prosperity rather than exploitation.

The statement of increasing the work week to 90 hours per week by the L&T chief was also critisezed by Praveen Khandelwal, Secretary General of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and Chandni Chowk MP. Calling it “highly impractical and a blatant disregard for human dignity and work-life balance”, Mr Khandelwal emphasized that such comments reflect a lack of understanding of the importance of mental health and the well-being of workers in the modern era.

“We cannot regress to a culture that treats workers as mere machines. Every individual, whether in the corporate sector or self-employed, deserves a balanced life where personal and professional aspirations coexist,” he said.