TN maids in long hunt for fair wage

Chennai: The controversial arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in the US, on charges including domestic help being paid far less than a fair wage, has revived the longstanding demand of the domestic workers to fix a minimum wage for them. Even four years after the minimum wages advisory committee recommended a minimum wa­ge of Rs 30 per hour for domestic workers, it continues to remain only on paper.

“We recommended the minimum wage after holding consultation in various parts of the state and taking into account various aspects of domestic work, including cleaning vessels, washing clothes, sweeping and cooking,” CITU state secretary and member of Domestic Worker’s Welfare Board T.A. Latha told DC. She said if the government notifies the recommendation, the workers would get weekly off, leave during national holidays and other social security benefits.

Latha said fixing of minimum wage would help nearly 18.2 lakh domestic workers in the state, the vast majority of them being women and girls. She demanded that the Centre amend the factories Act 1948 to include domestic help as worker. Though India is one of the signatories of ILO convention-189 on domestic workers, which ensures right to decent and secured work place and entitlement to minimum wage, it is yet to ratify it, she said.

K.R. Renuka, director of Centre for Women’s Development and Research, said they have been holding protests to pressurise the government to notify minimum wages along with DA, but nothing seems to be happening. She pointed out that Kerala and Karnataka have fixed wages for domestic help.

State labour minster K.T. Pachamal told DC that a decision on fixing minimum wages for domestic workers would be taken soon, after consulting the chief minister.