Table 1:
RIGHTS OF WOMEN AT WORKPLACE: THE LEGAL REGIME IN INDIA AT A GLANCE

Indian Legislation 
Provisions

Gender Specific (GS) /Gender Natural(GN)   
 
Application 

 
Objective / Main

Maternity Benefit   Act, 1961  

  
  
  
  
 

GS
 
  
  
  
  
 
Applies to every establishment whether a factory, mine or a plantation and to women employed for exhivition of     horse riding, other acrobatics    like circus, drama, and so on. 

 

To regulate the employment of women in certain establishments for certain perusals before and after child birth and to provide for maternity benefit and certain other benefits.  
  
 
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976  

  
  
  
  
  
 

GS
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Applies to all employments   given in the Schedule of the   Act. 

  
  
  
  
  
 

To provide for the paymentof equal remuneration to men and women workers and to prevent discrimunation on the grounds of sex against women inthe matter of employment, training, promotion, and so on.  
 

 

Factories Act, 1948  
 

  
  
  
  
  
  
 

GN
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Applicable to those premises where any kind of manufacturing process is being carried out    and where 10  or more workers are working with the aid of power or 20 or more workers are working without power.  

  
 

Protection of women from dangerous work and provides for health, welfare and safety.  
 

  
  
  
  
 

Plantation Labour Act, 1951  

  
  
 

GN
  
  
  
 
Applies to families employed in plantations.  

  
  
 

Lays down conditions for the regulation of plantations and also has provisions regarding health, safety and welfare of the workers.  
 
Mines Act, 1952  

  
  
 

GN
  
  
 
Applies to a person employed   in or in connection with a mine (below ground or above ground).  
 
Special provisions for welfare of women relating to health, welfare and hourse of work of persons employed.  
 
Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions and Employment)Act, 1966 Beedi Workers Welfare Act 

  
  
 

GN
 
  
  
  
  
  
 
Applies to establishment and industrial permises where any manufacturing process connected with the making of beedi or cigar or both is ordinarily carried out with or without power.  

 

Includes home workers, Provides for creches, night work and other welfare workers.  
 

  
  
  
 

Minimum Wages Act, 1948  

  
  
  
  
  
 

GN
 
  
  
   
  
  
 
Applies to the industries in the schedule 1 and 2 of the Act.  
 

  
  
  
  
 

Objectives to give protection to workers in small and scattered industries who get exploited. Provides a mechanism for fixing and revising minimum rates of wages.  

  
 

Inter-State Migrant Workmen Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service Act, 1979   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
GN
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Applies to all establishments where five or more migrant workers are employed and also   to all contractors who employ five or more migrant workers.   All workmen, skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled, technical, clerical, and so on are covered by the Act except those in the managerial cadre and those in the supervisory cadre who have wages which exceed Rs.500 per month.  To regulate the conditions of service of migrant workers like hours of work, wages, and welfare.   

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 

Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition)Act, 1970 
 
 
 
 
 
GN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Applies to every establishment where there are more htna 20 people (contract workers) working or were working in previous 12 months. Does not apply to establishments where the work performed is of casual or intermittent in nature. To regulate the employment of contract labour in certain establishments and to provide for its abolition in certain circumstance. 
 
 
 
Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To all railway servants  (excluding those employment     in administrative work) and to persons specified in Schedule    II of the Act which includes persons employed in factories, mines, plantations, mechanically propelled vehicles, construction work and certain other hazardous occupations but excludes a person who employment is causal 
 
Provides for payment of compenstation to workmen or other dependents as the case may be in case of industrial accidents arising out of and in course of employment and resulting in disablement or death. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 
 
 
 
GN
 
 
 
 
To children below 14 years of age. 
 
 
 
Prohibits employment of children in certain tasks and to regulate their conditions of work in certain other employments. 
 
Employmees State Insurance Act, 1948 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To perennial factories using power in the manufacturing process and employing 10 or more persons and non-power using factories employing 20 or more persons for wages. Restricted to those employees whose wages do not exceed Rs.3,000/- per month. To provide certain cash benefits to employees in case of sickness, maternity, employment, injury and medical facilities in kind. 
 
 
 
 
 
         


 
Table 2
LEGISLATION RELATING TO CRECHES
 
 
Factories Act 1948(Section 48)
Plantation Labour Act, 1951
Beedi and Cigar Workers ( Condition and Employment)Act
Contract Labour(Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules, 1971
No. of Women Workers More than 30 More than 50 More than 50 More than 20
No. of Children (including Women workers employed in by the Contractor) 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
More than 20 
 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 
 
 
-
 
 
 
 
Age of Children Provision 

 
 
 

Till six years A suitable room or rooms for the use of children 
 

 

Below six years A suitable room for the use of children of such women workers 

 

Below six years A suitable room or rooms for the use of children 
 

 

Below six years Two rooms to be provided for children. One playroom and the other as a bedroom.  
 
 
 
Authority to make rules 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The State Government shall make rules relating to location, standards of construction 
 
 
 
 
The State Government may make rules prescribing location and standards of construction, Equipment and amenities 
 
The State Government may makes rules prescribing location and standards in respect of Construction, Accommodation, Furniture, and so on. The Chief Labour Commissioner may prescribe the standard of construction and maintenance of creches. 
 
 
 
 Source: CED Reference: title:`Symposium on Women's Rights at the Workplace: Emerging Challenges and Legal Interventions: Proceedings and Select Papers/Presentations