F.No-S-36012/03/2015-SS-I
Government of India
Ministry of Labour & Employment

Sharam Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi
28 August, 2017

To
The Secretary,
Labour Department,
All State Governments/UT Administrators

Subject: The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act,2017

Sir/Madam,

Kind reference is invited to Ministry of Labour & Employment’s earlier letter number S-36012/03/2015-ss-I dated 12.04.2017 (copy enclosed) highlighting the recent amendments made to Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. The Ministry had also clarified therin certain points of doubts to facilitate smooth implementation of the provisions of the said Act, specially in respect of coverage of contractual workers under the Act. This Ministry in the recent past have been receiving a number of complaints and grievances from working women stating non-implementation of the provisions of the M.B. Act including alleged dismissal of few women by the employers in violation of section 12 of the said Act, non coverage of contractual employees, etc. The honourable National Commission for women has also taken serious view of such denial of rights of working women. This Ministry would, therefore, urge all the State/UT Labour Commissioners (which is the implementing authority under the M.B. Act) to effectively enforce the provisions of M.B. Act, and take strict punitive action against defaulting employers and ensure that the provisions of the statute are implemented in true spirit and letter to protect the rights of working women enshrined in the Act.

Yours faithfully
sd/-
(Manish Kumar Gupta)
Joint Secretary, Govt of India

Source: Confederation

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No. S·36012/03/2015-S5-1
Government of India
Ministry of Labour & Employment

Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg,
New Delhi, dated 12th April, 2017

To

The labour Department,
All States/Union Territories

Sub: The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 – reg.

Sir/Madam,

In line with recommendations of the 44th, 45th & 46th Session of Indian Labour Conference (ILC) and demands from various quarters, the Government has recently enacted the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017. Through this Amendment Act, following provisions have been added to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961:-

Increase in the maternity leave from existing 12 to 26 weeks for working women with less than two surviving children.

• Provisions for work from home for nursing mothers.
• Mandatory provisions for establishments having fifty or more employees to have the facility of creche.
• Extension of twelve weeks of maternity benefit to the ‘commissioning mother‘ and the ‘adopting mother‘ from the date the child is handed over.

Provisions of the Amendment Act have come in to force w.e.f 1st April, 2017, except those relating to creche facility (Section 4( 1)} which would come into force from 01.07.2017.

2. After the enactment of the said Act, the Ministry has been receiving numerous queries relating the revised provisions of the Act. The Ministry has examined such queries in consultation with Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) and the same are clarified as below :-

3. It is requested that these clarifications may be noted for compliance and also circulated widely so as to make the pregnant working women aware of their rights.

Yours faithfully,
(H.L. Meena)
Director (SS)

Source: The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act,2017

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