- Friday, April 19, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE government of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu on Monday (6) introduced a Bill in the state legislature which aims to make it mandatory for all shops and establishments to facilitate seating arrangement for their employees.
In 2018, Tamil Nadu’s western neighbour Kerala also brought a similar rule following protests seeking the right of women workers to sit during working hours.
“The premises of every establishment shall have suitable seating arrangements for all employees so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work and thereby avoid ‘on their toes’ situation throughout the working hours,” the Bill meant for an amendment to the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947 said.
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The amended portion will be added after Section 22 of the Act, C V Ganesan, the state’s minister for labour welfare and skill development, said.
The Bill’s objective is to give relief to the employees in shops and establishments who are made to stand throughout their duty time, resulting in various health issues.
“Considering the plight of the employees who are on their toes throughout their duty time, it is felt necessary to provide seating facilities to all the employees of the shops and establishments,” the Bill’s statement of objects and reasons said.
The amendment was unanimously approved by members of the labour advisory board.
According to media reports in India, the legal move also aims to make life easier for thousands of employees, especially women, attached to the state’s retail sector. For many decades now, Tamil Nadu has been reporting several instances in the industrial and retail sector that saw risking or violating the employees’ basic rights. For example, agents from big retail groups go to the rural areas to hire teens and women for moderate amounts that are paid in one or two instalments for a contract that could last between six months to two years.
“These highly exploitative bonded labour practices in the retail sector may have gone through some changes over the years but the plight of labourers continue to be the same. This Bill would ensure their rights to sit while at work,” a senior labour department officer was quoted as saying by The Indian Express daily.
