Domestic workers demand welfare board in every state
Amritsar, June 16
It’s been 12 years since the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted convention 189 seeking decent work for domestic workers in its historic centenary convention in 2011 in Geneva.
Nevertheless, successive Central Governments failed to take any measures to improve the condition of domestic workers even after the Covid-19 pandemic when domestic workers were hit hard and rendered jobless.
Besides other issues, the convention also laid stress on extending social protection to domestic labourers.
Amarjit Singh Asal, a prominent CPI leader, said the leadership in the country needed to reflect on the conditions of domestic workers, a majority of whom were women. They were devalued both in economic and social terms, he pointed out. He said domestic workers belonged to an unorganized sector and lack job security.
“As domestic workers are not recognized as essential service providers, they don’t figure in any of the state or the Union Government’s social security packages or projects. Neither had they set aside any funds in the budgets for their social security,” said Asal. He said as private homes were not recognized as workplaces, it was the main hurdle in framing any policies in the domestic worker sector.
In order to mark International Domestic Workers Day, women domestic workers on Friday held a protest march demanding the implementation of recommendations of the ILO convention held in Geneva.
Speaking on the occasion, Daswinder Kaur, all India president of All India Domestic labour Federation, demanded the formation of domestic workers’ welfare board in every state in the country. She said the government should ensure 5 per cent of the property tax to be deposited with the board for the welfare of domestic helps.
She said social security schemes for construction labourers should also be implemented for domestic workers. She said the government should also frame a policy for minimum wages, social security schemes, health services and pensions for them.
