Domestic workers lead a difficult life in India, and their working condition is seldom discussed unless there is some really major story worth the coverage. They represent marginalized communities in our society and they get no real rights. They often work long hours that might go up to 16-18 hours a day; they are vulnerable to abuse, sometimes beaten, starved and not given their dues.
According to estimates by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), there are at least four million domestic workers in India. And India is a signatory to the ILO’s 189th convention, which is the Convention on Domestic Workers; but has not ratified or formalized it yet.
Dr. Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, who is a second-time Member of Parliament, raised a private member bill, the Domestic Workers (Decent Working Conditions) Bill, 2015, to provide for decent working conditions, regulations and other related articles.
Among the many aspects of the bill, one part suggests that every employer shall enter into an agreement relating to terms and conditions of employment with the domestic worker. This is important because terms and conditions are the basic binding features and also serve as substantive proof. The bill further states that there is a need to mention the nature of work, rest period, provisions (if applicable) among domestic workers. This would prevent them from being overburdened or coerced into work.
Unfortunately, there are cons to the bill; would a minimum wage rule in an unorganized sector increase the number of people working in the black market? I say that because there will be many many people who would be willing to earn anything and be willing to take up work regardless of pay.
Also, if there is a minimum wage level, there might be households that don’t want to spend that much and thus come up with other ways to exploit the situation.
The point I am trying to make here is that the good aspects of the bill would include a legal contract/agreement that mentions all the terms and conditions and this is the security against the job, but the suggestion of a minimum wage could complicate things and lead to the creation of black markets and unemployment.
Also, more importantly, how it is going to be monitored? It’s essential for the Government to deploy more authority to keep a watch and aim to implement regulations. Abuse of child workers needs to be dealt with more seriously and urgently and current laws against these issues need to be implemented better.
This bill has good intentions, but it needs to be amended with regards to improving working conditions and introducing formal contracts. It also needs to be well laid out as it is time that mistreatment of domestic helpers is curbed. They all fall under the ambit of laws and rules and have social security, and it is perhaps time that we, in India, revived the debate on this very important bill.