Narayana Murthy, founder of India's second-largest IT firm Infosys, has said that India's youth need to work 70 hours a week. His statement evoked a flurry of responses on social media, mostly critical, as after making allowance for sleeping and travelling to work, there will be no time left for anything.However , it will surprise many Indians that most of our workforce is already working 70 hours a day. Farmer and agriculture workers constitute more than half our workforce. They work 70 hours a week, whenever work is available. In urban areas more than half the workforce is engaged 70 hours a week in work. In Mumbai, construction workers make up the largest segment of workforce and they work 70 hours without any benefits. My housing society watchman works 84 hours a week. Swiggy, Zomato, Amazon and Flipkart delivery boys who deliver food and good to my doorstep also work 70 + hours a week. So too do the Ola and Uber drivers who take me places. Street vendors, hawkers, shopkeepers and their employees work 70 hours.So who doesn't work 70 hours a week? You and I and govt, semi- govt employees along with white collar employees. These are the fortunate ones who have the time and the luxury to be on social media.This does not mean that I'm in favour of a 70 hour week; 48 hours is fine by me. But I'm in favour of a 48-hr week for all those currently working 70 hours so that there is social justice as in western countries. We are exploiting the masses and thriving on it. This must stop.
