Labour Minister writes to states after low compliance to creche facilities by employers

The Labour Ministry is holding discussions with state governments for effective compliance to the creche facility norm under the amended Maternity Benefit Act that mandates offices with 50 and more employees to provide a child care facility for working mothers.

An official said that Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has written letters to all respective labour ministers in the states for effective implementation of the amended law.

"It was under our purview to make changes into the law, however, it is entirely for the state governments to frame rules and bring it to implementation," the official told PTI.

Another official said that "since it is a state subject, we have been talking with all the state governments so that there is an effective implementation of this law."

When asked about the status on implementation of the new ruling, the official conceded that the compliance rate with regard to the creche facility remains low and the states can only be nudged by the central government to make this law work.

 

After an amendment that came into force from July last year, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017, says that every establishment having 50 or more employees are required to provide a child care facility within a prescribed distance, either separately or along with common facilities for working mothers.

Creches are required to have suitable room or rooms for the use of children under the age of six years at suitable location and the mother is allowed to have four visits daily to the facility to take care of her child/children.

On feedbacks received from state governments, the official without giving name of any state, said a few states have informed that they have notified the rules under this law.

For the effective implementation of this provision under the amended Maternity Benefit ruling, the Act provides that the appropriate governments shall frame such rules prescribing amenities and facilities that are required to be provided in the said creche.