Shillong , June 13: The Domestic Workers under the Umbrella of the North Eastern Regional Domestic Workers Movement in collaboration with All Meghalaya Domestic Workers Union (AMDWU) and Ferrando Domestic Workers Alliance (FDWA) on Tuesday has organised a conference with the Political leaders, bureaucrats and other Union representatives to discuss on the issues of regulating Domestic Work.
Leading the Conference the delegation from NERDWM, AMDWU and FDWA has specifically pointed that Domestic work is an occupation requiring a range of skills, from basic to specialise therefore it is important that Governments should include Domestic work in the list of scheduled employments vide a notification under the Minimum Wages Act 1948, for fixation and enforcement of minimum wages and also established Domestic Workers Welfare Board in the State.
Central and State Governments should also take effective and appropriate measures to ensure that domestic workers are able to exercise their labour rights. Such measures may include Legislative inclusions. This will enable Domestic Workers to receive treatment that is not less favourable than what other workers generally benefit under laws and legislations.
Addressing to the Conference Dr. M. Ampareen Lyngdoh Labour Minister stated that “with regard to fixation of Minimum wages for domestic workers, if other states has already taken the initiative to scheduled domestic workers under Minimum wage act and also fixed wages for the same, then we can also look into the matter and do the needful”
While Dr. Jemino Mawthoh, Member of Legislative Assembly has particularly stated that “Appropriate implementation mechanisms should be developed at the State level to ensure protection and security to the domestic workers and also to facilitate workers access to decent working conditions”.
“it is mandatory that the state government should time to time revised the minimum wages, not less than once a year” stated by Kong Angella Rngad, social activist of TUR, she also added that proper Healthcare mechanisms or free healthcare should have been facilitated in the state at different CHC/PHC and different government Hospitals rather than spending crores of money in the implementation process of MHIS.
Present during the conference were Mr. Kenneth Swer, President Nazareth Hospital workers union, Shri. Richard Thabah, assistant general Secretary AITUC Shillong. On the 16 june under under the Umbrella of the North Eastern Regional Domestic Workers Movement the rally will taken out from Madan Malki to shri. Arubindho hall bomfly rd to comemorate the dosmestice worker day
