ILO convention on domestic workers!

Our reflections ;

NDWM is a national organization working towards empowerment of domestic workers and regularization of domestic work. We envisage dignity to domestic worker and domestic work, recognition of their work as work and justice for the worker along with welfare measures enjoyed by other workers. We had been working for the last 22 years and in some of the state we were able to bring minimum wage legislated and in other states we are in the process. Some of them have registered the domestic workers under the trade union act and others are in the process. However we are looking for a just world for all domestic workers along with other workers.
We as a movement and I as a coordinator propose these suggestions to your body for consideration.

1. ILO TAKING A STOCK OF THE CONDITIONS OF DW IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
2. What are the constitutional provision that makes it possible to include DW under the minimum standard and how are they implemented or can be implemented.
3. DW are a large category of workers featured with female presence and the workers being illiterate
4. There is lack of organization of domestic workers as most of them women, less educated or illiterate, unskilled and unorganized.
5. Every country and state within the country could examine the possibilities and begin to organize the group under a common banner. There are human right provisions that will support the cause even in the absence of other laws and there is possibilities to create new laws in the absence of one.
6. There is a need for consistent effort and concrete action with different stake holders- DW, Employers association, trade unions, NGOs, etc
7. We very much welcome the move to include domestic workers to be brought under the preview of ILO so as to set certain regulations to protect their rights.
8. We are a grass root organization and need the support and pressure of international organizations like ILO to make our voice heard in the world on issues as these.
9. We very much agree with the exploitative conditions existing in domestic work and the urgent need for protection and bring the issue on global agenda to give right perspective and attention.
10. there is a need to regularize domestic work in every country, and create legislative protection for their rights along with a process to empower domestic workers to avail these service for themselves.

Sr. Lissy Joseph Jeanne Devos
Regional Coordinator AP-India