Gujarat amends factory law to allow night shifts for women, longer working hours
Under the new provisions, factories can extend work shifts to twelve hours per day, including intervals, with workers' written consent. Overtime wages will be paid at double the ordinary rate, and the quarterly overtime limit has been raised from 75 to 125 hours. For women opting for night shifts, employers must implement safety protocols including adequate lighting, CCTV surveillance, female security personnel, and secure transportation. A minimum of ten women must be scheduled per night shift, and no worker can be compelled to work on night shifts without written consent.
Written consent must
The newly promulgated ordinance explicitly prohibits compulsory night shifts for women workers, requiring factories to secure written consent from any female employee opting for such duties.
Implemented during the Gujarat Legislative Assembly's recess, these amendments seek to enhance operational flexibility in industrial establishments to stimulate investment and job creation. Key modifications include revisions to Section 54 of the Factories Act, permitting an extension of daily working hours from nine to twelve, while maintaining the 48-hour weekly limit and mandating employee consent.
Additional provisions authorise the State government to increase continuous working periods without breaks from five to six hours. The existing overtime wage structure remains unchanged at double the standard rate, though the quarterly overtime threshold has been elevated from 75 to 125 hours – subject to workers' explicit written approval in all cases
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Goa Assembly passes bill to extend daily factory work hours to 10, cites 'Ease of Doing Business
PANAJI: The Goa legislative assembly has passed a bill to raise the daily work hour limit in factories from nine to ten to facilitate the 'Ease of Doing Business'. The assembly on Thursday night passed the bill seeking to amend provisions of the Factories Act, to extend daily working hours in factories and increase the permissible limit for overtime work. The Factories (Goa Amendment) Bill was tabled by the State Factories and Boilers Minister Nilkanth Halarnkar on Thursday during the ongoing monsoon session of the House. Through the bill, the government plans to amend section 54 of the Central Act, as applicable to Goa, and enhance the daily limit of working hours for adult workers from the existing nine to ten. It also seeks to amend Section 65 of the Act to raise the maximum overtime permitted in a quarter from 125 to 144 hours. The statement of objects and reasons attached to the bill said that the proposed amendments were aimed at facilitating the 'Ease of Doing Business' by reforming and simplifying regulatory frameworks. 'The amendments will provide greater flexibility in factory operations and align with evolving industrial needs while ensuring compliance with statutory safeguards,' according to the Bill. The government has clarified that the proposed changes do not entail any financial implications. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the House that the Bill would be referred to the President for assent before it takes effect as law.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Bills related to abolition of child marriages, regulation of private ambulance, gig workers' welfare to be tabled in Monsoon Session
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the Karnataka Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2025, to criminalise the engagement of a child (betrothal), which was not punishable earlier. The Bill envisages stringent action against those involved in a child's betrothal and marriage. Under the law, all legislators, leaders, and elders involved in a child's engagement and marriage would be punished, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Among other decisions, it was decided that the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments (KPME) Bill, 2025, would be brought in to regulate private ambulance service providers. The Bill will be tabled in the Monsoon Session of the legislature. The Bill also envisages registration of mobile health clinics run by private medical institutions. Gig workers' Bill The Karnataka Platform Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, will also tabled during the session. It would replace an Ordinance promulgated to create a welfare fund for platform-based gig workers and place obligations on aggregators. The government had taken the Ordinance route to implement the welfare provisions. The Cabinet cleared the Bill in April, 2025, but it took the Ordinance route since the State legislature was not in session. It emphasises the rights of gig workers, proposes a welfare fee of 1% to 5% of the payout to the worker during each transaction. All such fees received would go to the welfare fund for the workers. It is estimated that there are 2.3 lakh gig workers in Karnataka. It was decided to upgrade the Allipura Gram Panchayat as a town panchayat in Chickballapur district. The Sulekere tank in Maddur taluk in Mandya will be developed at a cost of ₹47.75 crore, Mr. Patil said. The Cabinet approved ₹52 crore for developing right and left bank canals of Madaga-Masur tank in Rattihalli taluk Haveri district. A sum of ₹74 crore was approved for implementing the scheme to lift water from Nagamangala Branch Canal near Muddanahally to fill 18 tanks in Hirisave hobli of Channarayapatna Taluk for drinking water purposes. The Cabinet approved ₹880.68 crore for the purchase of medicines and other medical requirements of public health hospitals/utilities in Karnataka. A total of 46 prisoners serving life sentence would be prematurely released from prisons in the State. The life convicts would be released on humanitarian grounds as a goodwill conduct, Mr. Patil said. For Sanketh Trust The Cabinet permitted Sanketh Trust, a non-profit trust established in 1992, to pay 10% of the annual contract value for the site measuring 1350.5 square meters. The trust administers Ranga Shankara, with Arundhathi Nag as its managing trustee.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Karnataka Cabinet okays fire cess on new multi-storey buildings
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved the Karnataka Fire (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which permits the state to levy a fire cess of 1 per cent on newly constructed multi-storey buildings. Law Minister H K Patil announced that Section 15 of the Karnataka Fire Force Act, 1964, will be amended to include this cess, which would apply to commercial complexes, hospitals, educational institutions, industrial units, and residential apartments. Patil explained that the cess will be calculated at 1 per cent of the property tax amount and collected to strengthen fire safety infrastructure and preparedness in urban areas. 'All institutions and structures to which the Fire Act is applicable will now be liable to pay this cess,' he said. He clarified that the cess would be mandatory for all qualifying properties, and the responsibility for payment lies with the builders or property owners. The Cabinet has also decided to introduce a resolution to convert the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Ordinance, 2025, into a Bill in the upcoming Assembly session. The ordinance, originally promulgated on May 30, aims to ensure social security and welfare measures for gig economy workers. The state estimates that approximately 2.3 lakh full-time and part-time delivery workers are currently active across various platforms in Karnataka. The state will soon set up a Payment and Welfare Fee Verification System (PWFVS) to digitally track every transaction and welfare fee deduction made towards gig workers' social security. Under the proposed rules, aggregators must calculate and remit a welfare fee ranging from 1 per cent to 5 per cent of each payout made to a gig worker. These contributions are to be deposited into a government-managed welfare fund every quarter through RBI-approved payment modes. The Karnataka State Cabinet has also sanctioned the establishment of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Space Technology in Bengaluru, allocating a budget of Rs 10 crore over five years. The CoE will be set up as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013. The Satellite Communication Industry Association (SIA-India) will serve as the implementing partner and has been granted an exemption under Section 4(g) of the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 1999, Patil said. The decision addresses the critical shortage of testing facilities, as Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and other government centers are currently operating at full capacity, prioritising their missions. With the startup sector producing around 30 testable prototypes monthly and facing a significant demand for testing infrastructure, the CoE aims to bridge the gap and support innovation in the space technology ecosystem. The Cabinet has also granted administrative approval for establishing a peripheral cancer treatment unit under the Kidwai Memorial Institute at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital in Raichur. The estimated cost of the initiative is Rs 50 crore, which includes Rs 20 crore for civil works and Rs 30 crore for equipment. It will be funded by the Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of Indira Gandhi Children's Health Institute in Bengaluru, which will feature a 450-bed hospital. The project is estimated to cost Rs 62 crore for medical equipment, furniture, and other requirements.
