Government Enacts Equal Remuneration Act to Ensure Pay Equity for Men and Women

The Government has enacted Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 which provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for the same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination and also prevent discrimination against women while making recruitment for the same work or work of similar nature, or in any condition of service subsequent to recruitment such as promotion, training or transfer.

Moreover, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 provides for minimum wages and the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 ensures timely payment to both male and female workers.

Further, for supporting women across various economic sectors following acts have been enacted and are being implemented:

• Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, as amended vide the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, inter-alia, provides for paid maternity leave to women workers. Crèche facility in respect of establishments having 50 or more employees is also provided. The Government has increased paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks of which not more than eight weeks shall precede the date of expected delivery. Depending upon the nature of work assigned to a woman, the Act provides for work from home for such period and on such conditions as the employer and the woman may mutually agree.
• Under Mines Act,1952, Government allowed the employment of women in the aboveground mines including opencast workings between 7 pm and 6 am and in below ground mines working between 6 am and 7 pm in technical, supervisory and managerial work subject to obtaining written consent from women employee and the adequate facilities and safeguards regarding their occupational safety, security and health.