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Domestic helps will have rights soon

Domestic helps will now be entitled to proper wages, medical benefits and annual leave as the government is planning to regulate their working conditions through a central legislation.

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Centre plans Act to ensure proper wages, medical benefits and annual leave for such workers

NEW DELHI: Domestic helps will now be entitled to proper wages, medical benefits and annual leave as the government is planning to regulate their working conditions through a central legislation.

Drafted by the National Commission for Women (NCW), the proposed Domestic Workers Registration (social security and welfare) Act, 2008, aims at regulating the working conditions of those employed in households as part-time or full-time helps.

The bill is now with the women and child development (WCD) ministry for further action.

All domestic helps, their employers and placement agencies will be governed by this law. They will be required to register themselves with a district board. The board will fix the minimum wages separately for part-time and full-time domestic workers depending on the kind of work they do. Besides, the employers will have to pay Rs200 annually for the medical requirements of their maids, even if she is a part-time worker. Each worker will also be provided with an identity card.

Incidentally, the union labour ministry had introduced the Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill, 2007, in parliament last September which seeks to provide health insurance, life and accident insurance, maternity benefits and old-age pension, among other things.

While WCD minister Renuka Choudhury said she is also holding consultations with the labour ministry, the NCW points out that the Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill does not deal with regulating placement agencies, fixing wages or providing penalties.

“The working conditions of a  number of women need amelioration. They need regularity of employment. At the same time, placement agencies also must be regulated. Since there is no scheme for registration, we have no database on the number of people employed,” said NCW chairperson Girija Vyas.

“This comprehensive central legislation has been specifically designed to meet the working conditions of domestic workers to ensure the end of their exploitation and trafficking. As of now domestic workers are not covered under the minimum wages. Hence, employers are paying at their will. Under this law, a district board will be set up which will not only fix their wages but also settle disputes and conduct raids,” said Subhash Bhatnagar, legal advisor to Nirmala Niketan and National Campaign Committee for Unorganised Sector Workers, the NGOs that have helped the government in preparing the draft bill.

Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu took initiatives in fixing the minimum wages for the domestic workers. They, however, didn’t go behind the walls of employers.
p_vineeta@dnaindia.net
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