Labout Dept. asserts that night-shift safeguards for women employees is covered under OSH Rules

Following objections by the Karnataka State IT/ITeS Employees’ Union (KITU) to the omission of several clauses of the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, which the union alleged would remove several safety measures for women working night shifts, the Karnataka Labour Department has clarified that safety conditions relating to women employees that were earlier provided under the shops and commercial establishments Act have been incorporated under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH) Rules.

The State government brought amendments to the Act, 1961, via a notification dated September 4, 2026. This, according to the department, was done in accordance with recommendations of the Deregulation Cell, Union government, and in view of the implementation of the new Labour Codes.