Table of Contents
Why in News?
The Ministry of Labour & Employment is considering to formulate a National Policy on Domestic Workers which is in the draft stage. The govt. has not enacted any separate law to protect the interest of domestic workers.
Salient features
- Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations.
- Domestic workers will have the right to register as unorganized workers. Such registration will facilitate their access to rights & benefits.
- Right to form their own associations/unions
- Right to minimum wages, access to social security
- Right to enhance their skills
- Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation
- Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals for grievance redressal
- Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of private placement agencies.
- Establishment of a grievance redressal system for domestic workers.
Other Policy Measures
- The Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 has been enacted for providing social security to all unorganized workers including domestic workers.
- The Act provides formulation of social security schemes viz life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits & old age protection.
- The State Governments are mandated under the Unorganized Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 to formulate suitable welfare schemes for the unorganized sector workers.
Initiatives by states
The State Governments of AP, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerela, Odisha, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Tripura have included domestic workers in the schedule of Minimum Wages Act. The matter of constitution of State Domestic Workers Board is under the jurisdiction of the State Governments.
Will a “national policy”
- help? Implementation Complexity
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