In what could change the lives of lakhs of domestic workers, the government is planning to bring them under a structure that enables them minimum wages, protection from harassment and organise unions.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment is formulating a national policy for domestic workers and has sought views from the public by mid-November, after broadly defining the contours of the policy in a two-page public notice.
One of the main tasks of the policy is to "explicitly and effectively" expand the scope of applicable legislation, policies and schemes to "grant domestic workers rights that are enshrined in the laws for other category of workers", including "minimum wages and equal remuneration".
While Rs 9,000 was the minimum wage for a full-time domestic help in a previous draft, the latest publicised notice does not mention any figure.
The formulation of a national policy would be of great relief for the domestic workers, as many of them fail to earn enough to run their family despite working for more than 12 hours a day and in different households.
They also face harassment, both physical and psychological, and there is no grievance redressal mechanism.
Officials said the policy that will be formulated would have such issues addressed and they expect that stakeholders, including experts and those working for the welfare of domestic helps, would come up with innovative ideas that could be incorporated.
According to the broad policy framework formulated by the ministry, this policy should result in setting up an institutional mechanism which provides social security cover, fair terms of employment, grievance redressal and dispute resolution.
The policy will also provide for a model contract of employment with a well-defined period of work and rest. It also envisages access to social security benefits like health insurance, maternity benefits and old age pensions.
The policy could also touch upon promoting the rights to organise and form their own unions and associations and affiliate with other unions and associations.
The domestic workers could also have the right to register themselves with state labour department or any other mechanism available.
The policy will also work out a regulatory mechanism for placement agencies.
(Published 17 October 2017, 09:28 IST)