Domestic workers want grievance redress forums, better working conditions

Domestic workers demanded the creation of adequate grievance redressal forums, just measures to tackle allegations and harassment, and better overall working conditions in a public hearing on Wednesday.

Organised by the Stree Jagruti Samiti, the hearing was aimed to bring to light the various problems domestic workers face through an interplay of gender and caste and to stress measures to fix them.

Radha, an activist working with the Domestic Workers' Rights Union (DWRU), noted that the lack of recognition as 'workers' by the government makes it so that domestic workers do not have functional grievance redressal mechanisms to seek assistance in cases of unfair allegations or violence meted out to them at their workplace.

The public hearing focused on the recognition of domestic workers and homes as workplaces, regulation to improve their work conditions and safety, the need for schemes under the Unorganised Workers Social Security Board, and forums between employees and employers at various levels.

They also demanded a regulated process for regular inspection by the labour department in households to check for violations of minimum wage payment, leave provision, and other laws, and called for strong policies for the prevention of sexual harassment at workplaces and just processes in allegations of theft.

A jury, comprising social activist Akkai Padmashali, former MLA Sowmya Reddy, advocate BT Venkatesh, and retired IAS officer Renuka Vishwanath, besides representatives from the DWRU, also heard a few cases regarding the rights of senior domestic and migrant workers, and access to redressal systems.