Yaishwaryaj Seva Sansthan demands Ratification of ILO Convention C189 on Domestic Workers

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Yaishwaryaj Seva Sansthan demands Ratification of ILO Convention C189
on Domestic Workers
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