In a Notification dated 20th December 2019 the Labour Department of Uttarakhand (“Department”) has issued the Uttarakhand Factories Amendment Rules, 2019 (“Amendment Rules”) in order to amend the Uttarakhand Factories Rules, 1950 (“Principal Rules”), effective 20.12.2019.
Key takeaways from the Amendment Rules are:
- Licensing Fee:
Ø The Amendment Rules have increased the fee for registration and licence of a factory. Further, the licence renewal fee is increased by 10% every 5 years. Therefore, the next increase will be effective from 1st January 2025.
Previously, the only the licence fee was deemed to be increased by 10% of the existing fee, automatically for the first day of the following calendar year.
A tabular column comparing the previous and amended fee is given in the Notification.
- Latrine and accommodation:
Ø As per the Amendment Rules, if there are 100 workers, one toilet must be made for every man and woman separately for every 25 workers. Minimum one toilet for every man and every woman has been made mandatory.
Previously, there was one seat for each worker if there were 50 workers. The said threshold of 50 workers has now been increased.
Ø If there are more than 100 workers, for every 50 workers, separate latrines are mandatory for one man and one woman.
Ø Pursuant to the Model Factories Rules that was issued by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Principal Rules have been amended in order to make it mandatory for employers to ensure the availability of sanitary napkins for the use of women workers in factories. The Amendment Rules mandates that women’s washroom should be provided with an adequate quantity of fresh sanitary napkins and disposable bins for the collection and disposal of used napkins.
Previously there was no regulation to provide fresh sanitary napkins for women or disposable bins for the disposal of such used sanitary napkins.
- The Amendment Rules have added “Noodles and Pasta Factories” to the “Classes of Factories”, in addition the Biscuit Factories.
Source: Labour Department of Uttarakhand
