The National Domestic Workers Movement and the Kerala Garhika Thozhilali Union will organise a protest in front of the Secretariat and at other district headquarters on Tuesday, demanding, among other things, a law to protect the rights of domestic workers and to ensure their welfare. The protests are part of the nationwide observance of Domestic Workers Day on June 16 against the neglect of the Central and State governments to the plight of the domestic workers.
In a press release, the union said the Union government had not taken any step till date to protect the rights of the domestic workers or to even honour the commitment of the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s convention held in June 2011, in which domestic work was approved as equivalent to all other work. The State government had not increased the minimum wage fixed as Rs.130 for 8 hours, way back in 2010. A welfare fund for domestic workers started in 2011 had been stopped by the State government, it said.
The other demands of the union include implementation of Employees State Insurance and formation of a board for domestic workers.
