The Hindu : National : Decision to allow women to work in night shifts hailed

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Thursday, Mar 31, 2005

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National

Decision to allow women to work in night shifts hailed

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 30. The Confederation of Indian Industries has welcomed the Union Cabinet's decision to amend the Factories Act 1948, that would allow women to work in late night shifts.

A.K. Kaul, chairman, CII (Delhi State Council), hailed it as a much-awaited decision and hoped that the bill in this regard would be passed soon.

The Administrative Reforms Panel of the State Council had been raising this issue at different platforms with the Delhi Government.

The pre-budget memorandum 2004-05, submitted to the Delhi government by the CII, pushed strongly for the amendment.

The CII Delhi State Council Retail Working Group, headed by Tarun Mehrotra, has also been demanding that women be allowed work late under the Shops and Establishment Act with the condition that the employers undertake safe transport and safety at workplace.

Mr. Mehrotra has called this decision a next logical step to the earlier decision allowing shops to open round the clock and seven days a week.

"The CII expects this move to be beneficial to sectors such as IT, Retail including Food and Beverages, Garment exporters and Special Economic Zones.

The CII added that the industry awaited the bill in this regard and welcomed the due importance given `to ensure adequate safeguards by employers for safety of women workers at workplace and also maintaining equal opportunity for them."

It hoped that the proposal would kick-start a wave of reforms in Labour Laws, Rules and Procedures to make them more pertinent to the present scenario.

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