Uttar Pradesh: Neitherespectable wages nor social security, the lives of women domestic workers are filled with struggles

Report: Arun Verma, Lucknow

A demand is being made for linking the minimum wage and social security schemes of women domestic workers. In 2005, according to the National Sample Survey (NNS) data, there were 47 lakh domestic workers in the country, but today they number  about 9 crore and most of them are women.

Lucknow: "I do sweeping and mopping work in two houses. My day starts early, at 6 am in the morning.  After a bath, I prepare breakfast for my husband and children and then cook a meal. At about 8:30 am, I leave for work. First, I go to a house in Janakipuram Extension where I do the sweeping and mopping. I also wash the dishes. After about 1.5 hours, I go to the second house. There I make the breakfast and then cook a meal. By the time I finish the sweeping and mopping, and washing the dishes, it is 2:30 pm. Then again at 4 pm, I am back at work in the houses until about 9 pm. In the first house I am paid Rs 2,000, and in the second house, for sweeping, mopping, washing dishes, and cooking for seven people I am paid a mere Rs 3,000," said 35-year-old Vimala DeviThe Mooknayak, her face devoid of expression.

Vimla Devi further explained that her husband works in a catering company, where he makes a good income during the marriage season and during the monsoon. At other times he looks for work at the labor chowk, but he does not get work on all days. So it is with difficulty that he earns about Rs. 4,000 to 5,000 in a month, and they somehow manage to make ends meet."I have four children, but I haven't been able to get any of them admitted to school so far," she said despondently.

This is also the story of BewaAfroz, who lives in the kachi basti [slum] in Akbar Nagar. Afroz has been working as a domestic worker since her husband's death in 2017. She told The Mooknayak, "Before the lockdown, I used to cook food and do the sweeping and mopping in two houses in Shakti Nagar Colony. When the lockdown was imposed, the homeowners told me not to come to work and we ate and drank with difficulty. A voluntary organization provided some dry rations."

"After the easing of the third lockdown, the work of sweeping, mopping, and washing dishes started again. From this, I earn Rs 15,000. Apart from this, I receive a monthly widow's pension of Rs 500 from the government. I also manage to get rations twice a month, and with this, I am managing to feed my two children and myself," Afroz continued.

Asha Devi also does domestic work. "We don't have the right to either take leave or to demand being paid on time, let alone ask for an increase in wages. One hardly managed to finish one task and they tell you to do something else. Even when it's time to go home, there will be two more jobs ready to be done. If something is lost in the house, we are said to be the thieves. The blame is put on us," she said with a note of despair.

Vimala Devi, Afroz, and Asha Devi's stories are the stories of every woman working as a domestic worker. These women, who have the dual responsibility [of their own housework and in the houses where they work], neither receive a fair wage nor are they assured any social security in return for their work.

When asked by The Mooknayak about how many domestic workers are there in the whole country including Lucknow, Delhi, and Mumbai, Guru Prasad from the Vigyan Foundation said it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate. According to the 2005 National Sample Survey (NSS) data, there were 47 lakh domestic workers in the country. However, according to other reports, there are now about 9 crore domestic workers, of whom the majority are women.

Prasad further said that so far no proper survey regarding domestic workers has been conducted. The available data comes from many different sources. However, in November last year, the Ministry of Labour& Employment started the registration of domestic workers on the e-shram portal. This survey will be complete in one year, after which more accurate data related to domestic workers will be available.

Although the Unorganized Workers Social Security Act 2008 includes domestic workers, what this signifies is not clear. There is mention of provision of social security, but for this, there is also a need to create a separate social security board for domestic workers.

The demand for legislation

The Social Security Act was brought in to assure social security for workers in the unorganized sector explained Manisha Bhatia, program officer of Mahila Kamgar Haq Abhiyan, which is run by the NGO ActionAid. However, domestic workers have been demanding specific legislation for a long time. If such legislation is passed, the work will receive due to recognition and appropriate wages will be ensured. Working hours will be regulated and there will be provision for adequate leave, medical benefits, and compensation in cases of accidents and injury. As of now, there is no such law.

ActionAid and Vigyan Foundation have been demanding separate legislation for domestic workers for a long time. Along with this, there is also an ongoing demand to ensure Local Complaints Committees take strong action in cases of sexual harassment in workplaces.

The main demands of women domestic workers

• Pay and hours of work should be fixed.
• The right to take four holidays in a month.
• Provision of healthcare benefits.
• Humane and respectful behavior.
• Linking of social security schemes.
• Pension payments to commence from the age of 50 onwards in view of the physical nature of the work.
• Prompt action in cases of violence, verbal abuse, and physical assaults.