A one day sit in of the domestic workers was held at Jantar Mantar on 12th December during the winter session of the Parliament. A coalition of more than 50 domestic workers’ unions represented by SEWA led by Sonia, Ghar Kamgar Sanghatana of AICCTU affialiated M S Sarv Shramik Mahasangh led by Com. Uday Bhat, Gharelu Kamgar Sangh of Delhi led by Suman, TN Domestic Workers union led by Geetha and National Domestic Workers Forum led by Kristy and others participated under the national umbrella organisation.

The sit-in was held to focus the attention of the parliament and the government on a set of demands being voiced by individual organisations after the signing of the ILO convention In 2011. The government had then agreed to catagorise the domestic helpers as workers. It was also agreed to legislate a holistic law nationally to enable domestic workers to a dignified life. No steps whatsoever have been taken in this direction by any goverments beyond preparation of two uncirculated drafts.

The main demands flagged in the sit in were: 

• A separate holistic law applicable nationally to the domestic workers to be enacted

• Specific inclusion of the domestic workers in the new labour code on social security 

• Inclusion of the domestic workers in the code to provide social security cover such as pension, ESIC etc. And to make necessary provision and allocation in the union and state budgets

• Constitution of tripartite boards at the union and state levels. The representation of the workers should not be nominated by the government but chosen by the workers.

• The registration of the domestic workers and disbursement of benefits should be available on online platform as well as offline.

• To ensure safety of the domestic workers at the places of work must be ensured with required legal provisions.

The domestic workers have undertaken various forms of agitations at the union and the state levels such as submission of memorandum to local MPs, meetings and demonstrations locally and in the national capital. Modi government in its 11 year tenure has not moved an inch in the matter.

The 1500 domestic workers from Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Udisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana were addressed by MPs Rajaram Singh and Sudama Prasad from CPIML and Sachinanand from DMK, Sidharth from CPM and Sukhdev Singh from Congress. They expressed solidarity with the domestic workers and supported their demands. Amarjit Kaur, GS of AITUC also addressed in solidarity besides the leaders of the domestic workers unions. They unanimously condemned the Modi government’s utter neglect of this section of the workers, a majority of them being women from socially and economically deprived sections of the society.

The sit-in also resolved to intensify a nationwide struggle if the government does not act in the matter expeditiously.