CHAPTER-9
9.1 In order to ensure the welfare of workers, appropriate provisions have been made under Section 46 of the Factories Act, 1948. Under these provisions State Governments are empowered to frame Rules requiring that in every factory, wherein more than two hundred fifty workers are ordinarily employed, a canteen shall be maintained by the occupier for the use of workers. Similarly, Section 47 envisages that every factory, wherein more than one hundred fifty workers are ordinarily employed, adequate and suitable shelters or rest rooms and a lunch room with the provisions of drinking water, where workers can take meals, should be provided and maintained for the use of workers. Section 48 provides that in every factory, wherein more than thirty women are ordinarily employed should be provided and maintained a suitable room for the use of children under the age of six years of such women workers. The information relating to canteens, creches, shelters and lunch rooms by States and Industries for the year 2002 has been presented in Table 8.1 and 8.2. Most of the factories in all the States/U.T’s except Goa and Tripura, even though all of them were not statutorily required to provide Canteen, Creche and Shelter or rest rooms etc, provided these facilities.
9.2 Information regarding various welfare facilities as furnished by different States and Union Territories in their reports on the working of the Factories Act, 1948 are furnished in the following paragraphs:
9.3 Under section 47 of the Factories Act, 492 factories provided shelters, rest-rooms and lunch-rooms, whereas 355 factories in which more than 30 women were ordinarily employed provided creches as required under section 48. Also, 337 factories provided canteen facilities to their workers as required under section 46.
ASSAM
9.4 Most of the factories, even though all of them were not statutorily required to provide Canteen, Creche and Shelter, rest room etc. provided these facilities.
GOA
HARYANA
9.6 Adequate facilities for storing, washing and drying of clothing etc. were not provided by some factories. The Inspectorate staff continued to take Persuasive and legal steps to implement these provisions. Efforts were made to ensure that these provisions were made in the beginning when applications for approval of factory building plans is submitted to the Chief Inspector of Factories for approval so that no difficulty arises later on. Various welfare provisions such as first aid appliances, canteens, rest rooms and lunchrooms, crèches, etc., have been implemented. However, in case of maintenance of Creches compliance was found wanting at some places due to space constraints.
MAHARASHTRA
9.7 As many as 1216 Factories provided canteens, 3466 factories had rest rooms and lunch rooms etc. and 176 factories provided crèches during the year 2002.
9.8 Eighty seven factories provided canteens, 114 factories provided shelters and rest rooms and 26 factories employing 30 or more women workers provided crèches.
PUNJAB
9.9 During the year, 111 factories provided canteens and 136 factories provided shelters and rest rooms. The officers of the Factory Directorate continued to make efforts to get the welfare provisions implemented in all the factories by persuasion and appeal. The field staff was advised to resort to penal action in cases where response was negative inspite of their repeated efforts. The efforts of the field staff are likely to show results in the coming years.
9.10 Washing Facilities as prescribed under the Act and rules framed thereunder were provided, in almost all the factories. The Inspectorate was continuously educating the management to improve the standards. Managements of factories coming under industries like Engineering, Chemicals, etc. have provided lockers to workers to keep their clothes. Some of the big factories are maintaining High Schools, Elementary Schools, and making donations to schools and catering to children of the workers to provide catering facilities also. Apart from the facilities provided by the Employees State Insurance Scheme, some of the factories, including those in areas where the scheme has not been implemented, provided medical facilities to their workers. During the year, 780 factories provided Canteen facilities to their workers. Rest rooms and lunch rooms were provided in 1750 factories and 1515 were maintaining crèches for their women workers
9.11 Compliance for maintenance of First Aid boxes was satisfactory except two cases where prosecution was instituted. Only two factories were required to maintain canteen facility and both the factories met this requirement. Similarly two factories were maintaining shelters, rest rooms and lunch rooms.
CHANDIGARH
9.12 It has been observed that some factories did not provide adequate facilities for storing, washing and drying of clothings, etc. The Inspectorate Staff continued to take persuasive and legal steps to implement this provision of law. The management had generally provided first aid boxes. Most of the factories (submitting returns) have provided canteens for their workers. Even the managements of small units are providing free tea to their workers twice a day. Implementation of all other welfare provisions under the Factories Act was also found to be satisfactory.
9.13 The general working conditions in all the factories were found improved and the workers continued to enjoy welfare facilities provided under the Act. One factory provided canteen facility to their workers. Rest rooms & lunch-rooms were maintained in 43 factories, while 1 factory employing more than 30 women workers had provided crèches.