Domestics pitch for legal reform in labour laws

NEW DELHI: About 1,000, domestic workers from different parts of the city came together at Talkatora Stadium to demand an amendment in existing labour laws and a separate law to address their specific occupation.
The National Domestic Workers Movement and Chetanalaya-Domestic Workers Forum brought the women to the event. Abuse and sexual harassment, lack of welfare measures and social protection were key concerns raised by them.N Mukta Toppo, president of the Council of Catholic Women, Archdiocese of Delhi, recounted the story of one of the workers who was abused by her employer.
International Labour Organization representative Tushima Reiko advocated ratification of resolutions of the ILO Domestic Workers’ Convention signed by the union government in June 2011. “The ratification of the ILO Convention 189 will provide much-awaited recognition to domestic workers across the country who work as hard as any other professional but hardly get recognition and relevant wages. Philippines is the only Asian country to get this done,” Reiko said.
The main demands of the domestic workers were a comprehensive legislation for domestic workers, a tripartite board at the national and state level, fixed minimum wages, and registration of workers, employers and their social security contribution. Issuing of smart cards for the workers was also sought.
“Seven Indian states had already fixed minimum wages for the domestic workers, 11 states have an unorganized social security board and three have a domestic workers welfare board. Delhi has got none of them,” said Leeza Joseph of NDWM. The Minimum Wages Act 1948, Workmen’s Compensation Act 1923, Equal Renumeration Act 1976 and Payment of Wages Act 1936 are the important laws that must be amended, she said.
The domestics are often at the receiving end of serious yet unfair allegations. A worker, Radha Rani from Indore, said, “I worked in a house, in Jawahar Park near Devli Village for almost eight years. In 2007, I was wrongly accused of theft and a police case was registered against me. I fought persistently for two years in the Saket Court for my rights and dignity. I was declared innocent by the court in 2009.”