Hyderabad: Senior vice-president of Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry V. Anil Reddy told DC that small and medium industries would be affected by long maternity leaves for women employees.
“The 12-week period is distributed as pre and post maternity leave as per the convenience of the employees. We accept the Bill, but 26 weeks will affect productivity,” he said.
Mr Reddy said that industries that employed more women, like textiles, electronics and packaging wings in all sectors, would be affected. “Women work with commitment. They follow time schedules. They don’t waste time during duty hours and even utilise only half the one-and-a-hour set aside for lunch. They play a key role in productivity,” he said. He said that the Bill thus might lead to a decrease in opportunities for women in the private sector.
Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry president P. Srinivas welcomed the proposal and said that there would only be a minor impact on industries. “Women who go on maternity leave inform in advance and we can plan alternatives. Industrialists should look at this from a humanitarian angle,” he said.
