Social Security to Domestic Workers - Ministry of labour and empolyment

    The Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act,  2008 for the social security and welfare of unorganised workers which includes  domestic workers. The National Social Security Board constituted under the Act  had constituted a Sub-Committee of the Board to explore the extension of Social  Security Schemes for unorganized workers. The said Sub-Committee recommended  domestic workers as one of the categories to be considered for social security.

Accordingly, the Government set-up a Task Force to evolve a policy frame work  for domestic workers in the context of regulatory mechanism and providing social  security. The Task Force had examined various issues such as extending coverage  of Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), health and maternity benefits, life  and disability benefit, old age pension, etc., to domestic workers.  In their  first report, the Task Force on Domestic Workers has, inter-alia, made following  recommendations:

(i)         Extension of the welfare schemes to  the domestic workers including Health and Maternity benefit, Death and  Disability benefit and old age benefits.

(ii)        Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY)  should be the first welfare scheme to be extended to the domestic workers.  The smart cards used under RSBY can later be used to load other welfare  schemes rolled out for domestic workers.

(iii)        Domestic workers should be identified and  registered by the State Labour Department. 

(iv)      The domestic work should be included in  the Central List of scheduled employment vide notification under the Minimum  wages Act, 1948 for fixation and enforcement of minimum wages in respect of  domestic workers.  The State Governments which have not fixed  minimum wages for domestic work should fix minimum rates of wages for domestic  workers.

(v)       Mandatory registration of all placement  agencies and individuals providing placement, sourcing and recruitment service  relating to domestic work under Shops and Establishment Act.

(vi)      Formulation of National Policy for the  Domestic Workers. 

(vii)     Scaling up of the skill and re-skill  training programme initiated by International Labour Organisation.

The  proposal to extend RSBY to domestic workers is under consideration of the  Government.

           Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of  Labour and Employment gave this information    in reply to a  question in the Lok Sabha today.

Source - PIB