NT Reporter
Panaji
Around 150 domestic workers gathered at St Lourdes Hall in Ambaulim in South Goa on March 15 to demand recognition as workers, and the fixing of minimum wages by the state government.
The meeting was organised by the Domestic Workers’ Union Goa to mark International Women’s Day, and highlight long-pending demands for legal recognition and protection for domestic workers.
“Domestic workers’ rights have still not been granted despite decades of struggle. The National Domestic Workers’ Movement has been fighting for the rights of domestic workers and approaching courts for the past 40 years,” said Sarita Tirkye.
Fr Calisto Coelho, parish priest of Ambaulim, stated that workers must be given their due wages, leave and other facilities. “Workers employed by the church will also be paid revised wages in accordance with new laws,” he said.
Activist Sabina Martins stated that the International Labour Organisation has recognised domestic workers as workers but the central government has not yet implemented the provisions in India.
“Several organisations had filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court, which ruled this year that it is the responsibility of the legislature to fix minimum wages and that the state government should do so while also setting up a welfare board and an expert committee to study working conditions, wages and rights,” she said.
The gathering passed several demands by a show of hands, including the establishment of a state domestic welfare board, recognition of domestic workers under the unorganised labour board of Goa, revision of minimum wages and legal protection under labour laws, recognition under the Goa Social Security Scheme and extension of welfare benefits, setting up of an expert committee as per the Supreme Court judgement, provision of free bus passes for domestic workers and making district-level committees under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act accessible to unorganised workers.
Sr Nisha of the National Domestic Workers’ Movement stated that the demands would be placed before the government, and an appointment would be sought with the labour minister to discuss their implementation.
