Legal Reference Library

Women can be denied employment if the appointing authority is of the view that local conditions in a place where they are to be posted make male candidates more suitable to hold the post, the Madras High Court Bench here has held. Justice S.S. Sundar passed the order while dismissing a writ petition filed by R. Nadiya, who was not appointed as Village Assistant at Kallarathinipatti in Sivaganga district since a Tahsildar felt only a male candidate would be suitable for the post in view of grave law and order situation in the village. Article referred: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/if-condition-warrants-women-can-be-denied-certain-jobs-hc/article8931262.ece

Kerala High Court: Considering the increasing rate of crimes against women, a bench of Vinod Chandran J, in order to ensure safety of the working women held that women cannot be asked to work in night shifts between 10 P.M. to 6 A.M. The instant petition was filed by the women employees of the Seetharam Textiles Limited, Thrissur. V.M. Krishna Kumar, the counsel for the petitioner contended that asking women to work beyond 7 P.M. and prior to 6 A.M. is violation of Section 66 (1)(b) of the Factories Act, 1948. P. Vijayamma, the counsel for the respondent contended that the proviso to the above-mentioned Section enables the State Government to vary the limits provided thereto by notification in the official gazette with respect to any factory or group or class or group of description of factories. The Court read the circular dated 7.6.2003 issued by the Government of Kerala which stated that women can be employed till 10 P.M. provided that the employer must provide free transport f...