After almost 27 years GoI going to amend Factories Act- Badish Jindal

Ludhiana, February 21, 2015: After almost 27 years the GoI is going to amend the Factories Act, the last amendment in the Factories Act was made in 1987 after the Bhopal tragedy case.

In the meeting of tripartite committee held under the Chairmanship of Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatriya all the ministries states and prominent industrial and workers the Ministry Draft the following amendments which are going to be sent to the Parliament for amendments in Factories Act, said Badish Jindal, Chairman, FASII, who is also the member of the tripartite committee on Labour in a statement here today:  

• There will be provision of self certification & will be no Inspector Raj, & all the inspection system will be online.

• Labour Courts may be setup within the factory premises. 

• The children below 15 years can’t be deployed in Factories. 

• Presently the FACTORIES ACT starts on the Industries where the number of workers is 10, but now the proposed is 20 to 40, the minimum will be 20 and the maximum will be 40, earlier 10 was under central act but now states can fix the limit as per their discretion between 20 to 40 workers.

• Presently the workers can do overtime for 50 hours in three months, but now the committee has proposed to extend 50 hours to 125 hours in three months.

• The committee has proposed that under adequate safeguards and safety provisions the WOMEN WORKERS can work during night shifts also.

• Any person with disability or pregnant women’s won’t be allowed to work in Vat, Pit, Pipe Chamber extra.

• The new Factories act will have more penalty provisions & as the previous was decided in 1987 now there will be 300% more penalties on all the evasions by employers.

• Now the word “Hazardous process” will also be include along with the earlier defined “Hazardous Substances”