BENGALURU: The State Labour Department, which has come under fire for its failure to ensure that companies take steps to protect women employees, says a government order prevents it from inspecting any company in the absence of a specific complaint.
The department was unable to conduct periodic inspections on IT companies as they are exempted from the Industrial Employment Act, 1946, with regard to certain aspects pertaining to service rules, terms of services, payment of salaries, said Dr D S Vishwanath, Commissioner, Department of Labour Welfare.
However, the exemption does not cover the issue of women’s safety, he said. “It is like a double-edged sword. If we conduct inspections, companies say that we are harassing them. If we don’t, people say that we are at fault,” the official said. Providing transport to women employees is part of the safety measures the companies have to take.
The department is now initiating action against the call centre whose employee was gang-raped in a Tempo Traveller that she boarded to reach home on Saturday.