Employers must seek her written consent for work before 6 am & after 7pm: UP Govt order
The Uttar Pradesh Government on Saturday ordered employers not to force women employees to work after 7 pm and before 6 am without their written consent. The move is being seen towards providing a secure working atmosphere for women working in factories across the State and to protect their professional rights.
Also, the Government Order (GO) has asked employers to provide free transportation, food and sufficient supervision if women exceed their working hours.
“Women workers shall be provided free transportation from her residence to workplace by the employer of the factory and back.… Employer shall ensure toilets, washrooms, changing rooms, drinking facilities and lights in the workplace (sic),” the GO read.
“No woman worker shall be bound to work without her written consent before 6 am and after 7 pm,” said the UP Labour Department in the GO.
Strict action is to be taken against those violating the State Government order which surfaced on Saturday, officials said.
“Employer shall take appropriate steps to prevent sexual harassment. The employer shall maintain a complaint mechanism in the factory itself as prescribed in the Sexual Harrassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act,” the order read.
The GO said that if women are willing to work beyond 7pm, at least four four women should be allowed in a shift between 7 pm and 6 am.
According to sources, the Government order would be applicable in all private sectors.
The employer is also expected to send a monthly report electronically or otherwise to the inspector of factories of the region concerned about the details of women workers engaged during the night shift.
On the other, the labour inspector has also been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring safe working conditions for women workers and conducting inspections from time to time to ensure that there is no non-compliance with the provisions at the workplace.
The Government Order also stated that on refusal to agree for night shift, a woman employee cannot be terminated from service. Action can be taken against the employer if they terminate the service of women workers for refusing to work at night.
The UP Government has notified the exemptions to women workforce across all the mills and factories in the State under the powers vested in the Factories Act-1948 following the work plan of women employees.