NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is conducting a survey of all public and private organisations to compile data on the formation of internal complaints committees (ICC) to ensure that the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, is properly implemented.
The move comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order directing strict implementation of provisions of the Act by all states and Union territories. The Act provisions intend to ensure a safe workplace and provide easy access to a redressal mechanism to victims of sexual harassment at workplaces. Section 4 of the Act provides that every employer employing 10 or more employees will mandatorily constitute an Internal Complaint Committee (ICC).
The Supreme Court, hearing a case in August this year, passed certain directions, including a survey of such organisations or establishments having ICCs, by the district officers concerned, and assistance from labour commissioners. The Women and Child Development department of the Delhi government, in a letter, has said that the data of organisations will be shared by all the labour department offices in the districts and the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health with the district magistrates concerned, a Delhi government officer said. Urgent compliance with the apex court order has been directed.
The district magistrates have been appointed as district officers under Section 5 of the said Act and have an overall responsibility for the effective implementation of various provisions of the Act.
The court has issued a number of directions seeking specifically the number of organisations, both in public and private sectors, within each district, which have already constituted internal complaints committees, the officer said.
The court has directed the chief labour commissioner of each state to ensure that relevant data is collected by the labour commissioner in each district, so that the district officer can send it to the chief secretaries, who can then submit the data before the court.