Note4students
Mains Paper 2: Governance | Mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:
Prelims level: National policy for domestic workers
Mains level: Welfare measures for domestic workers and unorganized sector workers
News
- The Ministry of Labour & Employment is set to formulate a National Policy on Domestic Workers for providing various social securities.
Draft National Policy on Domestic Workers
- In a bid to give recognition to domestic workers besides making them eligible for minimum wages, social security and safe working conditions, labour ministry is drafting the national policy.
- As per the National Sample Survey, there are an estimated 39 lakhs people employed as domestic workers by private households, of which 26 lakhs are female domestic workers.
- Some of the salient features of the proposed draft are:
- Inclusion of Domestic Workers in the existing legislations
- Right to register as unorganized workers
- Right to form their own associations/unions
- Right to minimum wages, access to social security
- Right to enhance their skills
- Protection against from abuse and exploitation
- 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 Policy Measures
- The Centre is already implementing Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008.
- The act aims to provide social security relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection to the unorganised workers including domestic workers.
- The ministry is also drafting a Universal Social Security Code that would cover even domestic workers, who are otherwise deprived of benefits such as medical insurance, pension, maternity and mandatory leave.