New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government under M.K. Stalin, which had earlier put on hold a law which would have legalised a 12-hour workday, has now withdrawn it.The government announced the move on May 1, international workers’ day. In an address, Stalin called the move “courageous”, according to Indian Express.The controversial bill to amend the Factories Act of 1948 had been passed in the Tamil Nadu assembly amidst protests by several political parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s allies.A new Section 65-A exempted “any factory, or group or class or description of factories” from key clauses of the Factories Act dealing with daily working hours (which should not exceed 48 hours a week), the spread of working hours, intervals for rest and extra wages for overtime.Labour unions had soundly criticised it.Stalin’s government had also not consulted the Economic Advisory Council – including development economist Jean Dreze, Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan, former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian, and former Union Finance Secretary S. Narayan.In late April, following criticism, Stalin had put the law on hold.