Formulation of National Policy for Domestic Workers-reg : Ministry of Labour & Employment

Formulation of National Policy for Domestic Workers-reg : Ministry of Labour & Employment.

We welcome the Labour Ministry intiation regarding Domestic Workers.

But why Labour Ministry and Government of India not interested to settle the GDS issue.

As per Department of Post Conduct & Engagement Rules,2011 GDS are not CG employees , not Contract employees , not Contingent employees , not Part -time employees , not temporary status emoyees , not casul employees.

Once up on a time it is a honourary post but now it is essential for survival of India Post.

GDS status not related to any labour law. Why? What is reason behind it ?

Department of Posts intentionally framed a Rule i.e.3A (i) of Conduct & Engagement Rule i.e.GDS are not allowed to perform their duties beyond 5 hours. 

But , there is no legality to this Rule and also unconstitutional. 

This Rule does not come under "Sub Judice ".

When Department amend this Rule , then GDS automatically will get full working hours of 8 hours.

So, GDS future depends upon Department decision.

*Who are domestic workers ?*

Domestic workers comprise a significant part of the global workforce in informal employment and are among the most vulnerable groups of workers. They work for private households, often without clear terms of employment, unregistered in any book, and excluded from the scope of labour legislation. Currently there are at least 67 million domestic workers worldwide, not including child domestic workers and this number is increasing steadily in developed and developing countries. Even though a substantial number of men work in the sector – often as gardeners, drivers or butlers – it remains a highly feminized sector: 80 per cent of all domestic workers are women. 

Their work may include tasks such as cleaning the house, cooking, washing and ironing clothes, taking care of children, or elderly or sick members of a family, gardening, guarding the house, driving for the family, and even taking care of household pets. 

A domestic worker may work on full-time or part-time basis; may be employed by a single household or by multiple employers; may be residing in the household of the employer (live-in worker) or may be living in his or her own residence (live-out). A domestic worker may be working in a country of which she/he is not a national, thus referred to as a migrant domestic worker.

At present, domestic workers often face very low wages, excessively long hours, have no guaranteed weekly day of rest and at times are vulnerable to physical, mental and sexual abuse or restrictions on freedom of movement. Exploitation of domestic workers can partly be attributed to gaps in national labour and employment legislation, and often reflects discrimination along the lines of sex, race and caste.