Firms in IT parks must set up creches: panel

Complainant says IT staff are denied maternity leave

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed that all institutions in IT parks arrange creche facilities for breastfeeding employees.

In an order to the Labour Additional Chief Secretary and the Labour Commissioner, the commission said that as per the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2015, and Maternity Benefit Amendment Act, creche facilities and benefits should be provided to such employees.

The commission was acting on a complaint filed by Thiruvananthapuram resident Kusumam R. Punnapra that women IT professionals in the State were being denied maternity leave and so newborns were not getting breast milk.

She said that following her efforts a gazette notification clarifying the same was issued, but officials of IT establishments were adopting an apathetic attitude.

Violation of law

The IT Secretary should ensure that all IT parks had facilities that breastfeeding employees were entitled to as per law, the commission said.

The commission wanted the IT Secretary to remind the IT park authorities, including the Technopark chief executive officer, that if the facilities were not free, it would amount to violation of law.

It asked the Labour Commissioner to hold discussions with the Social Justice Director and Secretary and experts in child care laws about amendments to the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2015, with regard to facilities to breastfeed children, arrangements to take care of such infants, and food for them.

The commission has asked for a report within 45 days on the steps taken in this connection.