New Rule By UP Government Will Ensure Safety Of Female Workers Taking Up Night Shifts

By Jasveen Kaur Sawhney Updated May 29, 2022 5:25 PM

Slowly but steadily, the government of India is trying to curate a better and safer workspace for the female employees of the country. And a proof of this work in progress is the new development in Uttar Pradesh. In an attempt to improve the safety of female workers in the state, the Uttar Pradesh government has declared that no woman worker is bound to work before 6 am and after 7 pm without their consent. Furthermore, for those who are willing to work during the time bracket of 7 pm to 6 am, the government will offer free pick and drop services from their homes to the factories.

Apart from free transportation, the female workers, working during the specific hours will also be provided with sufficient food, with strict orders for the employer to ensure other basic amenities like a clean washrooms, changing rooms, water, and electricity are all provided. The order has come days after the UP government shared its budget with a list of goals for the upcoming year that include–empowering women of the state, ensuring health and safety, improvement in infrastructure, and generating more employment, among others.

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While a handful of Indian states have been working toward such goals for years now, the UP government is making sure its aim soon turns into a reality. And in order to supervise the entire process, the government has also ordered factory owners to submit a monthly report of female workers offering services during a particular time bracket. Furthermore, the factory runners will also ensure there are no sexual harassment cases against women in the workplace. Taking strict action against such incidents, the new rule is an amendment to the Factories Act, 1948. With law and order in place, the mechanism will help protect women employees from incidents of sexual harassment at the workplace. And those refusing to take up the night shift shall not be terminated by the employer.

We’re glad to hear about this new rule and hope to see the system change soon.