In a move that could open more employment opportunities to women in the state, Karnataka has passed a bill to allow them to work night shifts at factories.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly, on Wednesday, passed a Bill amending the Factories Act to allow women to work night shifts at factories.
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Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill
The Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill was passed without any debate in the Assembly.
“There were limitations on work hours for women, and there was pressure on the government, including from the software industry, to relax this,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC 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.
The government had in 2020 allowed women to work night shifts at hotels, restaurants, cafes, theatres, and other such shops and establishments.
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In 2019, the Karnataka Government issued an order stressing women can work night shifts (between 7 pm and 6 am) at factories registered under the Factories Act 1948. The order then also stated that factories need to take written consent from women workers who are willing to work night shifts.
Employers responsible for safety
As per the Bill, women can work between 7 pm and 6 am, but it is subject to a list of safety measures that employers must put in place.
It shall be the duty of the employer or other responsible persons at the workplace to prevent or deter the commission of acts of sexual harassment, it said.
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Provide transport facility for women employees
It also requires the employers to provide transport facilities to women workers from residence and back during night shifts and prescribes for transport vehicles to be equipped with CCTV and GPS.
Women workers must be employed in a batch of not less than 10; factories should have proper lighting and CCTV coverage, whose footage should be stored for not less than 45 days, are among the measures mentioned in the Bill.
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The bill also allows employees who work 12 hours a day for four consecutive days to take off three days a week.
Maximum work hours limited at 48
The bill further allows the government to increase daily work hours to 12 from 9, but not exceeding 48 hours a week. This will create more economic activities and employment opportunities, it said.
“We are increasing working hours to 12 hours per day. Those who work for 12 hours a day consecutively for four days, not exceeding 48 hours, can take off for three days,” the Minister said.
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The Bill, which will now go to the Legislative Council for passage, further states that employers have to make sure there are appropriate working conditions for women and no employee should have reasonable grounds to believe that she is disadvantaged in connection with her employment.
The Bill also allows the government to fix work hours for overtime duty, during which employees have to be paid wages twice the ordinary rate.
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