‘People’ should uphold domestic workers’ rights, says minister

KOHIMA, JUNE 11 : In the absence of any laws and guidelines for the protection of domestic workers under the scope of Labor Law in India, Kiyanilie Peseyie, Minister for Social Welfare and Parliamentary Affairs asserted the need for consideration of the basic rights, promotion and protection of the human rights of all domestic workers.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest during the Northeast Domestic Workers Week (June 10-16), Regional Conference held in view of the International Domestic Workers’ Day with the theme ‘Rights, Dignity and Solidarity of domestic workers’ at St Joseph’s College, in Kohima on Saturday.

The minister stated that most domestic workers were from the marginalized sections of the society, and a large number of them are migrant workers ranging from part-time to full-time workers, skilled and unskilled workers. Peseyie said that the people need to respect and protect the fundamental principles and rights of the domestic workers at work.
He also maintained that they should be given freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining. Peseyie also advocated for elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, abolition of child labor and elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Inorder to create a just society for all domestic workers, Peseyie said they need to be treated with dignity and justice, their rights upheld, their contributions recognized and their voices heard.

While stating that he envisions a society where child domestic work is completely abolished and children in work enjoy mainstream education and fuller childhood, the Minister solicited that support and commitment of the people to promote and ensure participation of domestic workers in their struggle for all forms of injustice and discrimination

Stating that the welfare of the domestic workers in North East region is a priority, the Minister has urged the participants to take optimum advantage of this initiative, so that the various available schemes and programmes under different Ministries both at the Central and the State government are accessible to the domestic workers.

Speaking on the conference theme, Dr Riju Sharma, Director, Social Science Department, Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU), Guwahati said domestic workers, like all other workers, are entitled to respect and recognition for their valuable contributions to society.

Reiterating that domestic workers are full-fledged workers, Dr Sharma, therefore asserted that they must be recognized, and accorded the same rights as other workers.

She also asserted that recognizing the economic and social value of domestic workers will enable the workers, and especially the women, to work and societies to develop economically.

Pointing the NER is home to most of the world’s child labor, forced and bonded labor, and to a large proportion of the working poor, Dr Sharma said eliminating child labor, bonded and forced labor practices through legislation review, effective enforcement, rehabilitation, strengthening institutional mechanism and fostering a convergence based approach focusing on prevention of vulnerabilities and promoting social dialogue for improving working and living conditions needs to be some of the sustainable interventions in the region.

Dr Sharma maintained that it is only when the domestic workers is brought into the realm of work and seen as a contract that domestic workers will be able to negotiate for their rights. In this regard, she said that apart from deliberations with the employers about the rights of workers, the involvement of the Government to give domestic workers the status of ‘workers’ with laws covering their rights is very crucial.

She stressed on the need for the state to deliberate over ways to decide wages, working hours and conditions, social security and pension, trainings and the development of an information campaign where workers and employers are informed about the new laws, the policies, process of recruitment etc, which she pointed out will be significant.

Also emphasizing on the need to recognize the fundamental principles and rights of domestic workers at work, Dr Sharma said the collective efforts of the people will enhance the exchange of good practices and ensure consistency in our approaches to voice the rights and needs of this vulnerable section of the society.

No profession remarked Dr Sharma, by itself is high and low, dignified and undignified, and therefore she maintained that balancing the rights and responsibilities of employers and the workers will go a long way in ensuring that their rights are defended and strengthened and they live a life of dignity.

Rovilatuo Mor, Deputy Commissioner, Kohima in his concluding remark said as the elements of domestic workers is here to stay as they have become an indispensable part of urban living, Mor said it has, all the more become a pertinent concern to look into the nature of its existence and operations.

Stating that there are many laws and guidelines for other workers, while there are no such provisions for the domestic workers, Mor said it is high time to look and view upon the issue of domestic workers at the right perspectives, and streamlined its existence and operations.

A memorandum was submitted to the Government on behalf of the domestic workers to address the issues of domestic workers and pave way for its growth and betterment.

Others who spoke during the programme includes Dr (Sr) Lisa Elavunkal, MSMHC, Rev (Sr) Theresa Vanlalhruaü, UFS, State Coordinator, NDWM, Lungshiyanger, Labor Commissioner, Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary, NBCC, Johny Raungmei, Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) and Neingulo Krome, General Secretary NPMHR.

During an interactive session held with the students on the topic ‘Anti-Child labor’ moderated by Rev Dr Fr Sebastian Ousepparampil, Principal, St Joseph College, Jakhama, the various provisions under Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986 were highlighted.

The conference was organized by the Ferrando Domestic Workers Alliance (FDWA) Centre for Development Initiatives (CDI) and National Domestic Workers’ Movement (NDWM) in collaboration with the office of the Labor Commissioner, Kohima, Deputy Commissioner, Kohima, Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC), Catholic Association Nagaland (CAN), Japfü Christian College, Kigwema, Don Bosco College, Kohima, Angamimiapfü Mechü Krotho (AMK), Nagaland Catholic Women Movement (NCWM) and St Joseph College, Jakhama.