Don’t put women on night shifts: Karnataka house panel to IT companies
Bengaluru(TNN): A legislature panel has recommended that Information Technology and Bio-technology companies in Bengaluru should avoid assigning night shifts to women to ensure their safety, security and privacy needs.
In its 32nd report placed in the legislature assembly on Monday, the legislature committee on women and child welfare headed by N A Haris said they are not in favour of female employees working night shifts in IT and BT companies and want them to be allocated jobs either in the morning or afternoon shifts.
The report said the companies should prefer men to work in night shifts. On September 9, 2016, the committee had visited Infosys and Biocon and interacted with the management, employees and other stakeholders and based on their feedback, it made these recommendations, the report said.
The recommendation run contrary to the state government’s historic decision last year. The government had removed restrictions on allowing women to work in night shifts in all sectors to provide equal opportunities for women, a move hailed by industry bodies. Till then, women were allowed to be employed in night shifts only in IT and ITES sectors.
The government had amended the Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961 and the Factories Act 1948 to make provision for women to work in night shifts with a slew of conditions to ensure their safety and security.
The Haris-led committee has also recommended amendments to various existing laws to ensure that accused in heinous offences such as rape and murder of women and children don’t go scot-free.
The committee said they found several lapses by investigating agencies and this was affecting conviction in women and child-related cases. “In the absence of stringent laws, many accused are able to go scot-free or get less quantum of punishment,” the report said while calling for more stringent action against doctors/hospitals encouraging female foeticide.
