The Government of Maharashtra has amended the Schedule to the Maharashtra Mathadi, Hamal and Other Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Welfare) Act, 1969 through Notification No. UWA-2025/C.R.209/LAB-5 dated 7 August 2026. The notification was issued by the Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department under Section 26 of the Act, after giving the required three months' prior notice.
The amendment is important for establishments engaged in construction, material handling, relocation activities, metal markets and paper markets, as it narrows the scope of certain employments appearing in the Schedule.
What has changed?
Item No. 1: Building and other construction work has now been specifically excluded from the operations covered under this entry.
Item No. 5: Building and other construction work has been excluded. In addition, work relating to shifting of a house or office has also been specifically kept outside this entry.
Item No. 15: The entry has been substituted. It now covers employment in metal markets—excluding iron and steel—and paper markets or shops involving loading, unloading, stacking, carrying, weighing, measuring and other preparatory or incidental work. Building and other construction work is expressly excluded.
What does this mean for employers?
The practical effect is that construction-related manual activities which earlier could fall within Items 1, 5 or 15 will no longer be covered through these particular scheduled entries. Similarly, house and office shifting activities are specifically excluded from Item 5.
This can have a direct impact on establishments that were registered with or making payments to a Mathadi Board based on the nature of these activities. Employers, contractors and principal employers should therefore review:
the exact nature of work performed by their workers;
the particular scheduled employment under which the establishment was covered;
existing Mathadi Board registration and levy arrangements; and
whether any other entry of the Schedule or applicable Mathadi Scheme continues to cover the activity.
Important legal point
This notification should not automatically be treated as a blanket exemption from the entire Mathadi Act for every construction-related activity. The Act applies to employments specified in its Schedule, while this notification specifically amends Items 1, 5 and 15 under Section 26. Accordingly, coverage should be examined with reference to the establishment's actual activity and the applicable scheduled employment or Scheme.
Notification details
Notification: UWA-2025/C.R.209/LAB-5
Date: 7 August 2026
Department: Industries, Energy, Labour and Mining Department, Government of Maharashtra
Issued under: Section 26 of the Maharashtra Mathadi Act, 1969
Signed by: Swapnil Kapadnis, Deputy Secretary (Labour) to Government.
Compliance takeaway: Establishments presently covered by a Mathadi Board for construction-related loading/unloading or house/office shifting should reassess their coverage in light of the amended Schedule before continuing or discontinuing statutory compliance.