Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 6 November 2015

REDEFINING MANUFACTURING ?


REDEFINING     MANUFACTURING  ?

Central Government is in the process of re-writing Labour Laws
As a part of this process , Govt wants to re-define " Manufacturing "
Eg:
Under the revised Factory Law , manufacturing is sought to be re-defined as :
"  Any process or activity resulting in any alteration of original character , such as nature, state, shape, size, usefulness, and/or making value addition to the original material acted upon when subjected to the process or activity "
This new definition seeks to keep " packaging " out of the purview of manufacturing !
This seems strange
Barring few very large " products " ( such as Boilers / Reactors / Pressure Vessels ) , every other product has packaging as its final operation , before leaving a factory gate

Then there are " factories " which do nothing more than " package " a product , such as :
*    Bottled mineral Water / Soft drinks / Milk / Oils etc ( liquids of all kinds )
*   Re-packing of Bulk Chemicals / Powders in sachets  ( solids of all kinds )
*   Packing of LPG gas / Oxygen / Industrial Gases in cylinders ( gases of all kinds )
*   Filling of capsules / ampoules ,  with drugs
*   Packing of Vegetables in plastic  shrink-wraps

I am sure , readers will find many similar items , where " packaging " is the ONLY process

Then here is a glimpse of the " Factories of Future " :

*   " Production " of Vegetables in climate-controlled buildings ( existing in Japan )
*   3D printed " Products " in thousands of " homes " ( designs downloaded from internet )
*   Warehouses ( Fulfillment Centers ) of Flipcart / SnapDeal / Amazon etc ( only deliveries )
*   3D printed , " Mass-production "  of buildings on open plots of lands ( WinSun of China )
*   Wind Farms / Solar Power Farms / Geo-thermal power stations

And what about factories which are entirely operated by robots ?  No humans at all  !
Such factories already exist

And factories where there is no " original material " having some " original character " ?
Can someone come up with an example ?

So , what should we do ?

#    Do not anchor  " Factory Act " around " Manufacturing Processes " ; however if you
      must , then retain " packaging " as legitimate manufacturing process in Factories Bill -
      2014

#   Re-name this Act as " Human  Enterprise  Act " , and make it applicable to any
     organization employing 100 or more persons , at a single location , irrespective of the ,
     *     " Original Material " having any " Original Character "
     *      Any " Alteration / Value Addition " taking place
     *      Subjecting the material to any process ( physical or mental )
         
 #    Do not wait for 64 years to amend the Human Enterprise  Act

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hemen  parekh
06  Nov  2015
   


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