Yaishwaryaj Seva Sansthan demands Ratification of ILO Convention C189 on Domestic Workers yaishwaryaj Posted June 4, 2012 Lucknow based NGO YAISHWARYAJ Seva Sansthan has come forward to take up the issue of Domestic Workers. Urvashi Sharma, Secretary of the NGO has sent memorandum to the President of India, the Prime Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh; thereby demanding to ratify Convention C189 on Domestic Workers adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) on16-06-11 in 100th Session of the Conference and brings forward a law to ensure its implementation. India supported the adoption of the instruments at International Labor Organization's conference held in Geneva. "As per estimates, 83 per cent of domestic workers are women or young girls, and therefore the Convention has expected from Governments to protect them from violence and abuse, and to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of the convention. Our country has already formulated a National Policy for Domestic Workers, along with the National Advisory Council (NAC) making recommendations. There are more than 6.4 million domestic workers in India, a majority of them being women. We request the Indian Government to take this forward, and immediately legislate for Domestic workers that will improve the condition of millions of poor working women, giving them their due recognition, dignity and self respect, along with ensuring decent living wage, social security and protection against workplace harassment, including sexual harassment." Urgent ratification and timely implementation of the Convention will bring a change in the lives of a large section of working women." the memo reads. "In India, domestic work is the largest sector of women employment which is stated to have grown by over 200 per cent since 1999-2000 due to fast changing socio-economic scenario. These domestic workers have limited or no education or skill training; they mostly come from lower caste or ethnic minority communities. In fact, this service is one of the main employment avenue open to poor uneducated women. Some Indian States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra have already adopted legislations meant to provide for better conditions at worksite. Some are said to provide minimum wage, some help them with social security and some help them to register trade unions. Once the Central Government ratifies the Convention, and brings forward a law to improve working conditions of domestic workers, more states may be encouraged to go for their state legislations like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra etc. Our Government, having signed this Convention, We want the Government to take immediate steps to ratify it and bring forward a law to ensure its implementation." says the memo. "We have sent a copy of the memorandum to Akhilesh Yadav requesting him    to initiate the process of adoption of a legislation to address the problems of the domestic workers in Uttar Pradesh as well" told Urvashi Sharma