Paid maternity leave for road construction workers

New Delhi, January 30

The government on Tuesday asked employers to provide paid maternity leave to the registered road construction workers for 26 weeks for up to two deliveries. Making the announcement, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said for more than two children and for adoption or commissioning mothers, 12 weeks of paid maternity leave shall be provided by the employer.

The Labour Ministry and the Women and Child Development Ministry released a joint advisory to ensure the welfare of women in the workforce. Similarly, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has also issued advisories for increasing women workforce participation by enhancing their security, maternity benefits in the building, construction and highway sectors, respectively.

As per the advisory, the wage of women construction workers has to be transferred online to avoid them getting duped by their supervisors.

The advisory stated that if a woman in the construction sector experiences a miscarriage, she is entitled to leave with wages equivalent to maternity benefits for six weeks following the day of the miscarriage. Every large and micro, small, medium enterprise (MSME) employer should facilitate common working facilities and working women hostels. The employers should also establish and maintain a creche within the workplace which should cater to the needs of children while mothers are working.