Mainstream WeeklyIntroduction: The Illusion of Time
The concept of time, when abstracted, often represents opportunity, leisure, and self-actualisation. The 12-hour workday, however, transforms this conceptual luxury into a constraint - a structure of unfreedom for industrial labourers. In the steel industry [read sheet metalware units] of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, workers routinely toil for 12 hours a day, six to seven days a week. Rather than being a matter of choice or productivity, such extended work hours are indicative of structural exploitation. This piece critically interrogates the implications of the 12-hour workday on the physical, emotional, social, and political life of workers, drawing upon field observations and theoretical understanding. I argue that the endurance of this practice reflects a systemic disregard for labour rights and underscores the disconnect between policy prescriptions and everyday realities on the factory floor.
The Physical Toll and Health Consequences
The human body is not biologically designed to function optimally under sustained physical duress without adequate rest and recovery. Yet, in Jodhpur