Take women off night shift, unsafe: House panel to K’taka

A HOUSE committee on women and child welfare of the Karnataka legislature has recommended that information technology and biotechnology companies in Bengaluru should refrain from assigning work on night shifts to women to ensure their safety and security.

The panel had members cutting across party lines.

The committee headed by the Congress MLA from Bengaluru, N A Haris, and comprising 18 other members placed its report in the state legislature on Monday.

The submission of the committee is advisory in nature.

Some women legislators on the committee, however, were of the view that the onus of women’s safety must lie with the companies, not with the women employees themselves.

Speaking about the report on Tuesday, panel chairman Haris said the committee had made the recommendation after a number of women approached the committee with such a request.

“We have recommended that companies must avoid having women working night shifts.

The House panel had members cutting across party lines

A lot of women approached us and said working during the night is difficult for them and they are forced to work in the night,’’ the chairman said.

“Companies that employ men can assign them for night shifts and employ women only on the day shift. Precaution is better than cure. We are just recommending it and it is up to the government to decide,’’ MLA Haris said.

There was, however, difference of opinion in the committee, especially among some women members, on the recommendation.

“I do not know what the recommendations are specifically. Personally, I am of the view that the onus is on companies to provide all the protection to enable women to work at night and then leave it to the women to decide what they want to do. Women should have the freedom to decide,’’ said a nominated Congress MLA from the Angloindian community, Vinisha Nero, who was on the panel.