The Karnataka Legislative Assembly has passed a bill for women to work the night shift at factories. This will provide equal opportunities for females.
“There were limitations on work hours for women, and there was pressure on the government, including from the software industry, to relax this,” Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said.
“Even the High Court had given a direction that equal opportunity must be provided to all under Article 14 of the Constitution”, he said
According to the bill passed in the assembly, the women will receive the following benefits:
- This will allow women to work night shifts at factories.
- Additionally, This will also permit the female employees to work 12 hours a day for four consecutive days. This will allow female workers can take off for three days a week.
- The government to fix work hours for overtime. The employees need to be paid wages at a rate twice the ordinary rate of wages.
To have better clarity on the bill:-
- The women employees can work between 7 pm and 6 am.
- The employer needs to maintain the safety of the female employee. The factories should have proper lighting and CCTV coverage whose footage should be stored for not less than 45 days.
- Additionally, It is the responsibility of the employer to provide transport facilities to women workers from residence and back during night shifts. Moreover, the transport vehicle should be equipped with CCTV and GPS.
In 2020 government allowed women to work in night shifts at hotels, restaurants, cafes, theatres, and other such shops and establishments. This factory (Karnataka Amendment) Bill was passed in the assembly without any debate.
What is Factory Act?
The Factories Act, 1948 has served to assist in formulating national policies in India with respect to occupational safety and health in factories and docks in India. It deals with various problems concerning the safety, health, efficiency, and well-being of persons at workplaces. It was replaced by the Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
The Act is administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in India through its Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) and by the State Governments through their factory inspectorates.
