AITUC opposes Goa Factories Act amendment

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) today termed the proposed amendment to the Factories Act in Goa recommending night shifts for women workers and longer working hours for all employees as "another attempt to please the employers".
"The proposed amendment to section 65 of Factories Act, 1948, is nothing but another attempt by the BJP-ruled state to please the employers and empower them to adopt hire-and-fire policy," AITUC leader Suhas Naik said here.
"Our women are not safe during the day time. What safety will they get in night shifts, especially in Goa where public transport is not available after 9 pm," he asked.

The permission (under the proposed amendment) to increase the working hours of all employees from eight hours to twelve hours will lead to further exploitation and harassment of the workers, he said.
"We will oppose this amendment as it strikes at our basic fundamental rights," he said, adding that AITUC demanded retention of eight-hour shift.
The government yesterday announced the intention to amend the act "while ensuring the safety of women".
Allowing women to work between 7 pm and 6 am will improve their "employability" and help the industry to select the employees of its choice, it said.
Industrial Promotion Board has demanded that women be allowed to work in night shifts, pointing out similar amendments to Factories Act in Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.