We need a law to protect domestic workers, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court in January directed the Union government to enact a law protecting domestic workers' rights and form a committee for a framework.
• India has an estimated 4 million-90 million domestic workers, majorly women and girls from SC/ST communities.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) passed Convention 189 in 2011 to protect domestic workers, but India is yet to ratify it.
• Karnataka announced the Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, mandating registration, contracts, minimum wages, and welfare fund contributions.

Detailed Insights:

• Domestic workers are atomized due to working in private spaces, making workplace inspections nearly impossible and increasing risks of harassment and child labor.
• The absence of national legislation hurts migrant domestic workers needing protection across state borders and those from neighboring countries.
• The National Platform for Domestic Workers (NPDW) drafted a Bill in 2017, but it was never enacted; the Supreme Court formed a committee without domestic worker representatives.
• Tamil Nadu has a welfare board under the Tamil Nadu Manual Worker Act, 1982, but registration is low, and workers earn less than the stipulated minimum wage of ₹37-39 per hour.
• The Karnataka Bill requires employers to contribute 5% of wages to a welfare fund for domestic workers' benefits and mandates written contracts.
• NPDW recommends compulsory registration of employers, agencies, and workers, along with a workbook maintained by both parties and endorsed monthly.
• Local complaints committees under the Sexual Harassment Act must be set up at panchayat and urban local bodies to improve accessibility for women workers.
• Structural solutions, not just intermittent relief, are needed to address housing and other critical considerations for domestic workers.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Domestic Worker: Individuals engaged in household work within an employer's home.
• Minimum Wage: The lowest hourly, daily, or monthly remuneration employers can legally pay workers.
• Social Security: Government programs that protect individuals and families from economic hardship.