SHILLONG, Dec 5 - The North East Domestic Workers� Movement (NEDWM) will take out a campaign for better job security and pay in New Delhi from December 7 to December 9.
NDWM�s State programme coordinator, Wanpynhun Kharsyntiew said here today that workers are demanding a legislation for the protection of their rights and also ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 189, by India.
According to data collected by NERDWM, from 2003 till date, about 500 cases of physical and sexual abuse against domestic workers were registered in Meghalaya. There were over 1,000 cases of financial abuse.
Moreover, 150 to 200 children employed as domestic help have been rescued from 2005 in the State. �Therefore, a legislation for the protection of domestic workers is urgently required,� she said.
Kharsyntiew added that as part of the movement, a 22-member delegation would be meeting MPs, National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Scheduled Tribe-Scheduled Caste with signatures of over 60,000 domestic workers demanding their rights.
From Meghalaya alone at least 25, 000 domestic workers have given their signatures, Kharsyntiew said, adding, more workers are likely to join the movement.
Some of the other demands of NEDWM include fixation of a minimum wage for the domestic workers and establishment of a domestic workers� welfare board in the State.
�We want the Meghalaya Government to fix a minimum wage for domestic workers and also set up the welfare board at the earliest to look into the grievances of over 8,000 registered domestic workers in Shillong and Garo Hills�, Kharsyntiew said.
