The Maharashtra government will amend labour laws to allow women to work in 12-hour shifts and also in night shifts to ensure equal employment opportunities to women, said state industry minister Ashok Chavan.
Speaking to mediapersons about the state industrial policy, which was announced on Wednesday, Chavan said, "many women's orgnisations have made a representation to us seeking removal of the anomaly in the law which deprives equal employment opportunities for women. Even women possessing right skills cannot be employed in industries where they have 12-hour shifts and night shifts as the law prohibits employment of women to work beyond eight hours and in night shifts."
"We have taken note of their concerns and agreed to their demand in principle. We are still carrying out consultations on this issue and once the process is over, we will introduce suitable amendments in the law," he added.
He said that "a Consolidated Annual Return scheme has been introduced in the new police as the old system of filing returns under various labour laws was found to be time-consuming and cumbersome."
Besides this, it is proposed to undertake joint inspections once a year as per predetermined schedules in consultation with the trade and industry, Chavan said.
In the new policy, sick and unviable industries have been given the option of speedy exit by one-time settlement of government dues without charging any interest on the defaulter".
The state itself will settle electricity dues, water charges, lease dues to MIDC, repayment of incentives, if any, claimed by a particular industrial unit, etc.
The state will also offer a package to those entrepreneurs who want to revive their sick units by rescheduling the payment of government dues over a period of five years.
However, the entrepreneurs who want to utilise such package will have to pay 7 per cent interest per annum, Chavan clarified.
