Salient features for proposed National Policy for Domestic Workers

Discussions are underway regarding a Policy for Domestic Workers, the salient features of which are as follows:

1. Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations
2. Registration of Domestic workers.
3. Right to form their own associations, trade unions
4. Right to have minimum wages, access to social security, protection from abuse, harassment, violence
5. Right to enhance their professional skills
6. Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation
7. Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals, etc.
8. Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of placement agencies.

These salient features were also put up on the Ministry’s Website for inviting the comments of the general public. Many of the State Government like Rajasthan, Kerala, Punjab, Tamilnadu and Tripura have included domestic workers in the schedule of the Minimum Wages Act and workers are, therefore, entitled to file cases before the concerned authorities in case of any grievance in this regard.

This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.