Following pressure from various organisations including women’s fora, the State Cabinet has decided to withdraw the recent notification of Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act 2007 prescribing punishment for employing women in night shift.
The government has also announced that it would delete the discriminatory Section 25 from the parent law — the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act 1961 — which barred women from working during the night.
The new Act was gazetted on April 30 after it received the Governor’s assent. Deccan Herald first broke the story that the government has amended the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act 1961, making the employment of women during nightshift, a punishable offence.
DH impact
The report sparked off a huge public outcry against the “draconian” Act from all sections of the society, especially the women’s organisations. Even the governor reportedly asked the government to “reconsider” the Act before notifying it.
The government on Monday buckled under the pressure and decided to scrap the Act.
Suitable amendment
Briefing mediapersons on the deliberations of the Cabinet meeting held here on Monday, Minister for Labour Iqbal Ansari said that Section 25 of the 1961 Act would be “suitably amended to allow women to work in night shifts”.
The minister pointed out that the Shops and Commercial Establishments Acts in other states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Kerala and Delhi also prohibited women from working in the night.
Take a lead
“We want to take a lead in doing away with the discrimination,” he said.
The minister clarified that the ban was there since 1961 and that the coalition government had only added a punishment clause to it.
“But in the wake of protests from organisations like the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) and Karnataka State Women’s Commission, the government has decided to amend the controversial Section.
“The legal department will be consulted on the matter and an ordinance will be promulgated soon,” he said.