The Delhi government, in a notification issued on Thursday, permitted the employment of women labourers at shops and business places on night shifts with their obligatory written consent, the officials said.
It was also mentioned in the notification that all employees will be entitled to receive twice their regular pay in case of overtime work and a maximum of 48 hours of weekly duty as prescribed by the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act. It will also have to form internal complaints committees.
Delhi Government Permits Night Shift Work for Women
Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena approved the proposal to the city government of incorporating the women workers in their night shifts at the shops and other commercial premises.
Recently, the labour department of the Delhi government also made a notification that included two new entries related with hiring women and under what terms they should be employed under the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954.
The additions made provided that women workers will be permitted to work in night shifts but their written consent to this will be obligatory. The notification stated that no employee will be hired or permitted to serve or work more than nine hours in a day and more than 48 hours in a week.
Night Shifts With Strict Safety and Pay Guidelines
The employers will take appropriate consideration on the safety, security and transportation of all the employees who have been requested to work during overtime or night shift, it said.
In addition, it will limit the number of hours each employee works to five consecutive work hours, it said.
In accordance with Section 8 of the Delhi Shops and Establishment Act, 1954, the overtime wage will be paid to the qualified employees twice at the normal rate. In case of shift working, the same will be done in such a manner that no employee will feel compelled to work on night shift alone,” the notification said.
Significantly, all employers that employ women workers will form part of ICCs under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, the notification indicated.
Moreover, the employers shall place CCTV cameras in which the establishment will be videographed, store the video not less than a month and deliver it on request by the chief inspector of shops.
The compensatory leaves in lieu of work on national holidays, weekly days off, legal benefits such as minimum wages, provident fund, insurance and bonus were also included in the notified entries.
