ABOUT US  >  History  >  2005 Till Date

• The UN Human Rights declared Domestic Workers as a form of contemporary slavery. (UN Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery 1990)
   

• The Tamil Nadu Government, State of Tamil Nadu, India, included Employment in Domestic Work in the schedule of the Tamil Nadu Manual Labour Act 1982 on the 1st June 1999. The Tamil Nadu Domestic Workers Welfare Board was constituted on the 22nd January 2007. The preliminary notification for the Minimum Wage Act for Domestic Workers was passed in August 2007.
   

• The Central government amended the Central Civil Service Conduct rules to prohibit any government official/civil servants from employing children below the age of 14 years as domestic workers.
   

• Indian law prohibits the employment of children below 14 years age, in certain occupations in accordance to the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act 1986. By 10th October 2006, the ban on child labour included employment of children in domestic work.
   

• The Karnataka government passed the Minimum Wage Act for Domestic workers on 1st April 2004
   

• The Kerala government has included Domestic Workers into the Schedule of employment. The final notification for the Minimum Wage Act for Domestic Workers came through on 23rd May 2005. The government has introduced Domestic Workers as members to the Kerala Artisan and Skilled Workers’ Welfare Fund, thereby allowing Domestic Workers to avail of Social Security Schemes. The Kerala arm of the National Domestic Workers’ Movement has been appointed to issue Labour Certificates for the Fund to the Domestic Workers.
   

• The Andhra Pradesh Government has issued on 10th December 2007, the final notification for the fixing of the Minimum Wages in the employment of Domestic Workers in Part-I of the Schedule of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
   

• Preliminary notification for Minimum Wage Act for Domestic Workers were passed in the following State governments: Rajasthan (4th July 2007) and Bihar (2006)
   

• The Unorganised Sector Workers’ Social Security Bill, 2007 has been passed on 8th January 2008. This Bill also includes domestic workers in the unorganised sector of workers.
   

• Domestic Workers have been guided to avail of several welfare and social security options like life insurance, health/medical insurance, ration cards and pension plans.
   

• In the journey of 20 years, other issues and concerns were responded to:
  - Globalisation and its effect on Women Domestic Workers
  - Human rights and domestic work

Advocacy, campaigns and lobbying with governing bodies, policy makers and the society remain the agenda for the movement to help uplift Domestic workers.

NDWM has witnessed domestic workers working for, rather than against each other. Through the Movement, they have gained awareness of their rights and the confidence to challenge employers and the general public. Practical changes such as fair pay, shorter working hours and using first names have created a relationship of justice between the employer and the employee. Fewer incidences of violence have been recorded.

But the process continues. In the words of our Founder and National Co-ordinator, Sr. Jeanne Devos, “We do not give in, we do not give up, we do not grow tired.”