Karnataka Assembly passes Bill for women to work night shift at factories

BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday passed the Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2023 that would allow women to work in night shifts at factories. At present, women are allowed to work at factories round-the-clock according to an order issued by the State government. Now, the government is making it a law, by getting the Bill passed in the Assembly.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, the State Government had issued an order stressing women can work in night shifts (between 7 pm and 6 am) at factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948. The order then had also stated that factories need to take a written consent from women workers who are willing to work in night shifts.

Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar told The New Indian Express that Karnataka is already allowing women to work in night shifts in factories and industries. “It was decided through a government order, which we have now passed in the House,” he said.

The Bill also allows the State Government to increase daily work hours from nine to 12, not exceeding 48 hours a week. This will “create more economic activities and employment opportunities.

 It also proposed to allow the State Government to prescribe the hours of work in any day or in any week above which wages at the rate of twice the rate of ordinary in respect of overtime work is payable to workers in respect of overtime work