MDWMO organises signature campaign of domestic workers
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, December 03 2015: Manipur Domestic Wokers' Movement Organisation (MDWMO) organised signature campaign demanding both State and Central Government to pass the legislation and ratify International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention C 189 on descent work for domestic workers.

The signed petition will be sent to the parliament during the Winter Session held between December 7 and December 9 so that the Government take steps to protect and promote human rights of all domestic workers.

Speaking to the media persons at Tribal Research Institute (TRI), Chingmeirong MDWMO Co-ordinator Sister Agnes Khala lamented that Manipur is lagging behind in securing the rights of the domestic workers.

Sister Agnes said that the ILO Convention C 189 on "Decent work for domestic workers" affirms that the domestic workers must be given the same basic labour rights as those available to other workers, reasonable hours of work, weekly day off, social security, occupational safety and health and decent wage etc.

Agnes said the Government of India has also taken some steps to provide legal protection and social security to domestic workers.

The domestic workers have been included in the unorganized workers' social security Act, 2008.And the sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) act, 2013, she pointed out.

Deputy Labour Commission E Tomba said that domestic work contributes to the well being of the family and enable the women and men to engage in productive employment thereby raising family income and their economy.

Tomba announced that National Policy on domestic workers with the objective of regulation and extension of welfare measures has been formulated by the Ministry of Labour but it is yet to be notified.

There have been other measures like extending the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) to domestic workers and the notification of minimum wages by a few State Governments.

The MDWMO organised signature campaign in different NGOs, GOs, Colleges and Schools' to support their demands to the Government and has collected 3000 signature in State.

Labour and Employment Minister Irengbam Hemochandra Singh, Senior staffs of labour department also supported the campaign with their signature.

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