Kerala Govt Brings Ordinance To Give Employees ‘Right To Sit’ In Shops & Establishments
The Kerala Government has promulgated an Ordinance to give employees the ‘right to sit’, by amending the provisions of Kerala Shops and Establishments Act 1960. The Ordinance titled ‘The Kerala Shops and Establishments(Amendment) Ordinance 2018’ was promulgated by the Governor of Kerala and notified in the Gazette on October 4.It contains a mandatory condition to provide seating arrangements to employees who otherwise have to be on their feet for long hours. Section 21B introduced in the principal Act by the Ordinance states that “in every shop and establishment, suitable arrangements for sitting shall be provided for all workers so as to avoid “on the toes” situation throughout the duty time, so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work”.
The violation of the Section will attract penalty and fine under the Act. Section 29 of the Act, which prescribes fine for violation of the provisions of the Act, has been amended by the Ordinance to include the newly inserted Section 21B. The fine amount has also been increased by the Ordinance from five thousand rupees for first time offence to rupees one lakhs, and ten thousand rupees for second or subsequent offence to rupees two lakhs.Earlier, saleswomen in textile shops had staged protests for “right to sit” against the compulsory requirement to stand for long hours, which extended in many cases to more than 10 hours a day. They also complained that they were not permitted to even go to the washroom during their working hours. The National Human Rights Commission had taken note of the pathetic working conditions of female staff in textile retail shops in Kerala. The Ordinance intends to remedy this situation. Further, the proviso inserted to Section 20 by the Ordinance permits night shifts for women, but with the condition that in a group of five members put on the night shift, at least two should be women, and that the employer should arrange travel arrangements and security for women working during night shifts. The present law prohibits employment of women between 7 pm and 6 am.Section 11 has been substituted by the Ordinance to state that every employee should be given at least one whole day leave per week.
courtesy : livelaw.in
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LPG supply disruption forces Kolkata's century-old Jewish bakery Nahoum's to shutter down briefly
Kolkata (PTI): In the heart of Kolkata stands Nahoum and Sons, which has withstood several headwinds, serving its customers with cakes and savouries for more than 120 years.
But the current West Asia crisis that disrupted energy supplies with the chocking of the Strait of Hormuz has dealt a body blow to the city's only Jewish bakery, forcing it to shutter its operations for five days.
A notice pasted outside the shop stated that the bakery would remain closed from March 18 to March 22 due to "unavoidable circumstances".
However, an official at the outlet in the New Market area told PTI on Thursday that the bakery had been struggling to cope with disruptions in cooking gas shortage for some time.
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"We were continuing operation despite limited commercial LPG cylinder supply, but production had to be scaled down significantly. Eventually, it became unfeasible to operate under such constraints, and a temporary shutdown was the only option," said Jagadish Haldar.
"We will open on March 23 and hope to resume full-fledged operation as early as we can," he said.
Maintaining its longstanding traditions, the bakery remains closed on Saturdays in observance of Jewish customs.
Barring the Covid-induced lockdown a few years ago, the temporary shuttering order, however, is unprecedented in recent memory. The bakery had earlier closed briefly in 2013, following the death of its owner, David Nahoum.
Regarded as a heritage landmark in Kolkata, the century-old confectionery continues to hold its place as a prominent destination for those seeking classic baked delicacies, even as it adapts to changing circumstances.
The menu had long been associated with a mix of traditional Jewish and Kolkata-style baked goods and continues to draw crowds for its signature offerings such as plum cakes, lemon tarts, brownies, almond kisses and fish pantras.
