PANAJI
The state government has been petitioned to ensure registration of all domestic workers -- domestic help, maids, cooks, cleaners -- so that they are eligible for compensation due to ‘loss of livelihoods’ on account of the pandemic under the Disaster Management Act currently invoked across the country.
The demand has been voiced by the Domestic Workers Union in Goa prodded by the Mumbai-based National Domestic Workers Forum.
Goa Domestic and Migrant Workers’ Forum, a union registered with the Goa Labour Commission, is coordinating efforts on behalf of the Goa Domestic Workers Union in Goa.
On the 10th Anniversary of the adoption of the ILO Convention 189 -- Decent Work for Domestic Workers,’ adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on June 16, 2011, the Union has also written to various MPs to pass legislation for domestic workers in the light of which India will also be able to Ratify Convention 189 and demonstrate it cares for this vulnerable section of workers, a statement issued by the Union said.
To date, there is no exact data on numbers but conservative estimates say over 30 million are in this category. Many of these workers are women and single mothers and it is the only source that provides them with a livelihood, it said.
In the pandemic, already over 15 months now, these workers suffered badly as employers kept them at a distance and they lost wages too, it said, adding that those who were permitted to continue to work had more work and we’re paid less.
They also incurred extra costs while reaching their workplaces as there was no public transport for several weeks, the statement said.
“Workers have had to continue to pay rents and repay loans. Many family members have been ill and have had to pay for care which has been beyond their means. Some have died leaving orphaned children behind and even lost relatives. There has been no compensation. Some workers have received some ration but other needs require cash,” the Union said in the statement.
Although there are directions that all informal workers be registered in the welfare boards for the unorganised sector, no proactive steps are made to register domestic workers, it said.
Considering the specific conditions of this sector, where workers work in private homes in a dispersed and irregular manner, the National Platform for Domestic Workers makes the following demands: Ratify ILO Convention 189; Enact Comprehensive Legislation for Domestic Workers in the light of which India will also be able to Ratify Convention 189; register all domestic workers in the Labour Department and provide the cash compensation of Rs 7,500 for the number of days of work lost as per the Disaster Management Act; Extend the 100 days of work under the MGNREGA to urban areas.
