Click to play videoBangalore: The Karnakata government's plan to ban night shifts for women is ruffling feathers in Bangalore.
Vandana is guest relations executive at one of Bangalore's busy hotels, and her job often involves a late night shift.
But that might soon change. The Karnataka Assembly has passed a new Bill that seeks to ban night shifts for women in firms that come under the Karnataka Shops and Establishments Act.
But that might soon change. The IT industry and hospitals, however, will be exempted. Women's groups are already drawing daggers.
"It is not a progressive legislation. It is hindering the progress of ladies in one stretch of imagination,” says chairperson, State Women's Commission, Pramila Nesargi.
The government says it is the only way to ensure protection for women and will target the hotel industry, shopping malls and recreation centers.
The hotel industry, however, has reacted sharply. Women form more than 50 per cent of the workforce in some trades and hotels will find it difficult to reorganise their functioning.
"In the world we are living in today, we cannot have this segregated and isolated approach towards the women workforce,” says general manager, Taj West End, P K Mohan Kumar.
The bill may have been passed in the Legislative Assembly, but it still need to be passed by the council and be ratified by the governor before it can be enacted as an Act.
And this gives women's groups enough time to gather their resources and voice their protest.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter and Google+)
displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of CNN-IBN does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them.