India’s domestic workers demand comprehensive law

August 02, 2013 - More than two thousand domestic workers from 14 states demonstrated in the Indian capital, New Delhi on Thursday, demanding a law to protect their rights and provide them social security. The workers staged a rally and protest sit-in under the banner of National Platform of Domestic Workers (NPDW). They also submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, urging the government to bring the domestic workers under the purview of the labor laws through a comprehensive legislation and setting up of a tripartite board to implement and monitor the provisions. “The plight of domestic workers in this country is miserable. I am ashamed about the lack of minimum wages, healthcare facilities and security to the domestic workers,” said D. Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India addressing the sit-in. Among other eminent people who addressed the gathering expressing solidarity with the domestic workers included Basudev Bhatacharya – CPM member of Parliament, Ali Akbar Ansari of the Janata Dal United, Sanjay Paswan - a former minister in the NDA government, Mohini Giri - former chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Vijayalakshmi Reddy from AITUC and Annie Raja of NFIW. NPDW is the umbrella forum of 17 unions of domestic workers and action groups scattered across the country. (Source: UCAN)