labour Commissioner KC Gupta has issued directives to enable labourers to cast their vote in the 3-tier panchayat election in the State on June 16. Polling will be held from 8 am to 3 pm. Owners and managers of factories and shops and employers of commercial establishments have been asked to comply with these directives.
The labour Commissioner has directed owners and managers of all factories to declare holiday for their workers on June 16 under section 52 of the Factory Act, 1948. This will enable labourers to cast their vote without any hindrance. The factories which work throughout the week have been instructed to give two-hour off to labourers in the first and second shifts for casting their ballots. The first shift should be closed two hours earlier and the second should be started two hours late.
The factories with continuous process should allow their workers to cast vote one by one without causing any loss to their wages. The labour Commissioner has desired urban area shops and commercial establishments to give weekly holiday to their workers by observing holiday on voting day instead of prescribed day. The shops which do not close on any day will allow their workers adequate time to go to cast their vote one by one.