Tamil Nadu: Govt fixes eight-hour workday for sales representatives

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has fixed an eight-hour workday for medical and sale representatives in the state. An additional hour of work will yield double their normal wages. The order covers workers from 11 industries including pharmaceuticals and fast-moving consumer goods who come under the Sales Promotion Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1976.
In a notification, labour secretary Mohammed Nasimuddin said the state government had fixed their work hours from 9am to 5pm; one hour at the start of the day has been earmarked for clerical and preparatory work.Lunch break would be from 1pm to 2pm.
The order said the number of working hours for sales promotion employees should not exceed 54 hours in a week including overtime. "Sales promotion employees are entitled to overtime at double the normal wages," the notification said.
According to sources in the labour department, work hours had been fixed for sales promotion employees for the first time in TN based on a representation. "The commissioner of labour sent a note in this regarding, which has been notified," an official said.
National president of Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives' Associations of India Ramesh Sundar R said there were 15,000 to 20,000 medical representatives in Tamil Nadu. If workers from all the 11 sectors, who are collectively come under the bracket of sales promotion employees, are considered, their numbers would run into lakhs. "But, what we also require are working rules as they give the break-up on the number of work hours, including hours dedicated for administrative works," he added.