Maternity leave for women in construction work, wages to be deposited in bank account: Govt

Union Minister Irani said that the labour ministry on Tuesday sent out a directive to all companies in the infrastructure sector that registered construction workers will need to be given 26 weeks of maternity leave by their employers.

New Delhi: Maternity benefits will now be extended to women in the construction sector, an unorganised workforce. Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani said that, to this end, the labour ministry has sent out an advisory to employers asking them to ensure women are given the benefits of maternity leave and the emoluments under the PM Matru Vandana Yojana. A similar advisory was issued by the ministry of highways and road transport, too. Women who suffer miscarriage will also be entitled for 6 weeks leave, Irani said.

Irani said that the labour ministry on Tuesday sent out a directive to all companies in the infrastructure sector that registered construction workers will need to be given 26 weeks of maternity leave by their employers.

“If a woman part of the construction industry, constructing highways today, miscarries, as per the advisory, she will be entitled to leave with wages at the rate of maternity benefits for the period of six weeks immediately following the day of her miscarriage,” Irani said.

Irani added that every female employee in the construction site should have their wages deposited in their account by the company. She said that migrant women workers, too will come under the ambit of these benefits.

“We have been seeing for ages that when women employees, to take their wages, need to give a thumb imprint or sign a paper, then the supervisor usually takes a cut. This is a proud implementation of the digital democracy. Under PM Modi’s government, 24 crore women today have bank accounts,” Irani said.

Irani added that with the digitisation of the country’s 14 lakh anganwadis, even migrant workers can avail the benefits. “Over 10 crore (women and children) beneficiaries are now availing the benefits of anganwadis. And, this includes over 1,10,000 migrant women workers,” Irani said.

The labour ministry, in its advisory, has asked companies to ensure gender neutral creche breaks, in addition to providing women workers maternity benefits, health provisions such as safe sanitation facilities, Internal Complaints Committee, night transport facility, gender neutral job advertisements as well as adequate women in leadership roles.

"(Companies must) ensure that both men and women have equal opportunities to take care of their children or dependents without facing discrimination or biases based on gender roles," the advisory says.