Goa recently announced an amendment to their Factories Act which will now allow women to take night shifts in factories. Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai announced that this amendment would be implemented with the upcoming monsoon bill of the Legislative Assembly.
This amendment will allow employers to appoint women for night shifts i.e., 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. if prior permission is taken from the Chief Inspector of Factories and Boilers. The amendment would be made to section 66 of the Act.
This amendment is to empower women in this particular sector and to construct a positive and equal environment for all employees irrespective of their gender. This move is also supposed to increase competition and increase production.
In 2017, many industries applied to the state government to permit women to work in second and third shifts especially in factories and the IT sector.
The one condition that the government did state was proper infrastructure and protection to ensure that the women were safe in their work environment. This would be a step towards creating a new work culture that would focus on equality.
Considering the low participation of women in the workforce of the country, such steps relating to increased employability opportunities and safety are crucial to getting the economy-boosting again.
“This is a legislation which can meet the challenges of time. When we talk about “Made in India” initiative, we need to make our factories competitive” stated Mr. Sardesai.
