Salient Features:
Salient features of the proposed draft National Policy on Domestic Workers are as under –
- Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations
- Domestic workers will have the right to register as unorganized workers. Such registration will facilitate their access to rights & benefits.
- Right to form their own associations/unions
- Right to minimum wages, access to social security
- Right to enhance their skills
- Protection of Domestic Workers from abuse and exploitation
- Domestic Workers to have access to courts, tribunals for grievance redressal
- Establishment of a mechanism for regulation of private placement agencies.
- Establishment of a grievance redressal system for domestic workers.
Other steps taken for domestic workers:
- In several States, trade unions have been registered exclusively for domestic workers.
- Domestic Workers Sector Skills Council has been established under Ministry of Skills Development to enable professionalization of domestic workers.
- Domestic Workers have also been included as a specific category of workers in the Sexual Harassment of women at workplace Act, 2013.
- Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, provides social security relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection to the unorganised workers including domestic workers.
