SHILLONG, APR 27: The domestic workers of the state under the banner of the All Meghalaya Domestic Workers’ Union (AMDWU) have sought the intervention of the state government for fixation of wages and constitution of a domestic workers welfare board in the state.
Addressing a news conference here on Friday, AMDWU joint secretary Wanpynhun Kharsyntiew said the chief minister Conrad K Sangma has assured the delegation of the Union which met him on Thursday that the government would ensure domestic workers in the state are given their rights.
“He (CM) also urged us to submit our suggestions so that the matter can be discussed in the cabinet,” she said while informing that the union had also submitted the proposed amount to be paid by the employers to the different categories of workers besides coming up with a “wages card”.
As per the recommended rates fixed by the domestic workers themselves, there would be three kinds of workers – part-time, full-time and live-in (those staying in the house of the employers).
Kharsyntiew said the monthly wages for part-timers, (those working for an hour) wherein their job profiles are either – washing clothes, washing utensils, cleaning the house, gardening and marketing the fixed rate is Rs 1800 per month.
While for those cooking and doing school duty their rate is Rs 2000 for per month, she said that baby-sitting and caring for the aged entails a full time job and therefore their wages has been fixed at Rs 8000 per month.
For the live-in domestic workers the All Meghalaya Domestic Workers’ Union has recommended a fixed of Rs 5000 per month (including food, accommodation and toiletries).
As per the recommendation of the union the live-in domestic workers will also be allowed “period of rest and weekly day off”.
According to Kharsyntiew, who is also the advocacy coordinator of the North East Regional Domestic Workers’ Movement, the decision to come up with the proposal was in view of the fact that at present there is no uniformity in the payment of wages by the employers to these domestic workers.
“Due to this, the domestic workers are finding it difficult to make ends meet through their jobs as the daily wage of Rs 180 per day is too less,” she said while adding that the estimate arrived at by the union on the requirement of a domestic worker to run her family is Rs 330 per day which comes to around Rs 9,000 a month.
The Union also wants that domestic workers in the state should be included in the list of schedule of employment through a notification under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, for fixation and enforcement of minimum wages.
She informed that neighbouring state of Assam have already fixed minimum wages for their domestic workers.
Meanwhile as part of a campaign organized for the past many years, Kharsyntiew said that the union has also proposed to the state government to consider setting up of a welfare board for the well being of the domestic workers.
“If other states in the country are already having such welfare board in place, we have every reason to hope that our government would also consider constituting the board at the earliest,” he said.
The welfare board will perform various functions like registration of domestic workers, provide assistance in case of accident, provide medical expenses for treatment of ailments, provide, maternity benefit to the women domestic workers.
As per a survey conducted by the union in 2013, there are around 20,000 domestic workers in the different parts of the state. However, only 5,000 are presently registered with the All Meghalaya Domestic Workers’ Union.
By Our Reporter
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