On International Workers’ Day, the newly formed Gujarat Domestic Workers’ Union in India advocated for rights and protections for domestic workers. Gujarat Domestic Workers’ Union, a sister organization of Gujarat Agriculture Labour Union, also called for ratification and implementation of ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No.189), as basis for labour standard for domestic workers.
Women members highlighted the need for a comprehensive legislation for domestic workers to regulate employment and working conditions such as wages, working hours, weekly holidays, social protection, occupational health and safety regulations, including right to a safe workplace free from harassment.
Domestic workers in India, mostly women, are engaged in informal and unregulated employment relationships and lack access to fundamental human rights and freedoms that all workers are entitled to. On may 1, they call for recognition of their work and be treated with respect and dignity that all human beings are entitled to.
Sister Paulomee Mistry addressing the meeting
Gujarat Domestic Workers’ Union, General Secretary, Sister Paulomee Mistry said: “Sisters, we’ve been laboring in households, often unseen and underappreciated. By uniting as a union, we assert our identity as workers entitled to rights and dignity. Our only plea is for our labor to be valued and compensated fairly.”
One of the urgent demands is for increase in pension for single women, with one member highlighting “Single women domestic workers are among the most vulnerable among us. Many are widowed or abandoned by their families. We demand that the state government raise this pension to a more enabling amount.”
In addition, members called for identity cards for domestic workers to access benefits under social protection policies including access to benefits under National Food Security Act and opportunities for skill development for women to access better skilled, higher paid jobs.
Domestic workers often work in isolation and union activities are an often the only opportunity for them to have a collective identity as workers. Union organized fun games such as tug of war, lemon race and musical chairs as a part of group activities for women workers.