Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2023: Women To Work In Night Shifts At Factories, A Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective With Special Reference To Garment Sector In Karnataka
Dr R Krishnan Bhatt, Professor, Dept of Psychology (HRM and IR), Kristu Jayanti College
ABSTRACT
The economics of consumerism and ever-increasing production targets rule all aspects connected to organization and people. Mahatma Gandhi’s famous seven deadly sins need a relook in the modern context. They are; Wealth Without Work, Pleasure Without Conscience, Knowledge Without Character, Commerce (Business) Without Morality (Ethics), Science Without Humanity, Religion Without Sacrifice, Politics Without Principle . One is really concerned without prejudice to ask “Are we having commerce without morality? The spate of labour law reforms in the last few years and now are political. Due to the lockdown and the ensuing restrictions on public gatherings, regional and national-level labour organizations were extinguished under productivity and growth slogans. Anticipating a lower growth rate for the economy, employers across sectors seized this moment to insist upon their long-pending demand for labour flexibility. The demands put forth by major employers’ organisations during their interactions with the union labour minister were ease of doing business and a complete overhaul of labour laws.
The history of labour movement started in the Mid 17 century and is still underway in many undeveloped countries. The process of getting basic human rights has taken almost 300 years and still we have a spate of violations in ESI, PF, Minimum wage and even today many of the basic provisions are not implemented.
According to Section 66 (b) in The Factories Act, 1948( Unamended ) clause b) no woman shall be 1[required or allowed to work in any factory] except between the hours of 6 A.M. and 7 P.M.: Provided that the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, in respect of 2[any factory or group or class or description of factories,] vary the limits laid down the clause. The Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday (22/02/2023) passed the Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2023 that would allow women to work in night shifts at factories. At present, women are allowed to work at factories round- the-clock according to an order issued by the State government. Now, the government is making it a law, by getting the Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly.
This paper is an attempt to discuss the possible bio-Psycho-social factors leading to high human cost based on the current amendment to the law.
