Regulations set to be amended for Employment of females in night shifts

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama   
The Cabinet yesterday had given its approval for amending the provisions in the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act, No. 19 of 1954. This amendment aims to empower women by allowing them to work during nighttime hours.   

The amendment to the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) Act, No. 19 of 1954, now opens up more opportunities for women.   
Specifically, women working in information technology, knowledge process outsourcing firms, business process outsourcing firms, and offices handling accounting, administrative, and technical tasks for international businesses can now take on night shifts.   
The draft bill of the Shop and Office Employees (Regulation of Employment and Remuneration) (Amendment) Act, prepared by the Legal Draftsman, has received clearance from the Attorney General.   
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal put forth by the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment. This approval allows for the publication of the draft bill in the Government Gazette Notification and its subsequent presentation to Parliament for final approval. This is an important step towards enacting the proposed amendments and ensuring that they become law.