Legislation for Domestic Workers

As per National Sample Survey (NSS) 2004-05, there are about 47.50 lakh domestic workers in the country. The Government is aware of the problems of the workers including domestic workers. Domestic workers and their organizations do assemble to articulate their demands from time to time. However, exact number of people participating in such assemblies is not known.

The domestic work falls under the purview of State Sphere. The State Governments are empowered to enact legislations for domestic workers. However, various labour laws, like the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Workmen Compensation Act, 1923, the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 are directly or indirectly applicable to these workers.

The Central Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 for social security and welfare of the unorganised workers which includes domestic workers. The Government has also set-up a Task Force to evolve a policy frame work for domestic workers in the context of regulatory mechanism and providing social security. The Task Force has submitted its first report which makes certain recommendations for domestic workers including recommendation to extend Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to these workers.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shri Harish Rawat gave this information in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.

 

source-http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=0