Jamboree Event on Promotion of Women Workers Rights & Ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention C. 189
JAMBOREE Event Seeking Ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention C. 189
Under the ILO - ACTRAV / Norway Project “Trade Unions for Social Justice”, the Tamil Nadu Trade Unions Joint Action Forum (JAF) is implementing various activities on promotion of ratification of ILO Core Conventions C. 87, C. 98, C. 138 & C. 182 and ILO Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu National Trade Unions JAF has implemented series of activities on promotion of Gender Equality, more particularly Decent Work for Domestic Workers since 2010. The JAF leaders in 2010 participated in a national convention with constituents and provided inputs on the draft text of Domestic Workers Convention that was to be adopted in the International Labour Conference 2011.
Various activities were taken up by the Tamil Nadu JAF on promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming & domestic workers which included State Level workshops, Training of Trainers programmes and International Women’s Day Celebration highlighting domestic workers issues and calling upon Government of India to support adoption of Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 at ILC. The JAF further appealed to Government of Tamil Nadu to urge upon the Government of India to extend its support for adoption of Convention on domestic workers.
The JAF is strengthening the Domestic Workers movement by enrolling paid memberships into the Trade Unions and further strengthening them through linkages with the social security programmes.
On 19th October 2012, the Project office and JAF conducted a Jamboree event in Trichy, highlighting Promotion of Decent Work for Domestic Workers and Ratification of Domestic Workers Convention C. 189. Above 400 members including Trade Union leaders and domestic workers from all over Tamil Nadu participated in this event.
The major objectives of this Jamboree were a) to create massive awareness among the women workers in particular the domestic worker’s on their rights and social security measures b) to impress upon government intervention to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 c) to launch the post card campaign seeking early ratification of Domestic Workers Convention and d) capacity building of Trade Unions to organize and empower domestic workers.
Ms. Panudda Boonpala, Deputy Director, ILO - DWT / CO, New Delhi presided over the function and launched the post card campaign. The JAF team will take forward the state wide campaign through post cards seeking ratification of domestic workers convention. The zone and district leaders in the state will be actively involved in taking forward the postal campaign. Over all, the JAF in Tamil Nadu will obtain a minimum of 30,000 signature post cards seeking ratification of domestic workers convention C.189 and its effective implementation. The same will be sent through post to Prime Minister’s Office for suitable follow up and needful action on 10th December 2012 - the Human Rights Day. This activity will further facilitate the Trade Unions to increase their strength by identifying and organizing new domestic workers in to their respective Unions and there by make decent work available to all the domestic workers.
Earlier in the event a role play on the issues, challenges, conditions of domestic workers was performed by role play team. The JAF also prepared charter of demands on the issues and challenges of domestic workers and the same was approved by the members in the event.Following were the charter of demands adopted in the Jamboree:
The Tamil Nadu National Trade Unions JAF has implemented series of activities on promotion of Gender Equality, more particularly Decent Work for Domestic Workers since 2010. The JAF leaders in 2010 participated in a national convention with constituents and provided inputs on the draft text of Domestic Workers Convention that was to be adopted in the International Labour Conference 2011.
Various activities were taken up by the Tamil Nadu JAF on promotion of gender equality and gender mainstreaming & domestic workers which included State Level workshops, Training of Trainers programmes and International Women’s Day Celebration highlighting domestic workers issues and calling upon Government of India to support adoption of Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 at ILC. The JAF further appealed to Government of Tamil Nadu to urge upon the Government of India to extend its support for adoption of Convention on domestic workers.
The JAF is strengthening the Domestic Workers movement by enrolling paid memberships into the Trade Unions and further strengthening them through linkages with the social security programmes.
On 19th October 2012, the Project office and JAF conducted a Jamboree event in Trichy, highlighting Promotion of Decent Work for Domestic Workers and Ratification of Domestic Workers Convention C. 189. Above 400 members including Trade Union leaders and domestic workers from all over Tamil Nadu participated in this event.
The major objectives of this Jamboree were a) to create massive awareness among the women workers in particular the domestic worker’s on their rights and social security measures b) to impress upon government intervention to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 c) to launch the post card campaign seeking early ratification of Domestic Workers Convention and d) capacity building of Trade Unions to organize and empower domestic workers.
Ms. Panudda Boonpala, Deputy Director, ILO - DWT / CO, New Delhi presided over the function and launched the post card campaign. The JAF team will take forward the state wide campaign through post cards seeking ratification of domestic workers convention. The zone and district leaders in the state will be actively involved in taking forward the postal campaign. Over all, the JAF in Tamil Nadu will obtain a minimum of 30,000 signature post cards seeking ratification of domestic workers convention C.189 and its effective implementation. The same will be sent through post to Prime Minister’s Office for suitable follow up and needful action on 10th December 2012 - the Human Rights Day. This activity will further facilitate the Trade Unions to increase their strength by identifying and organizing new domestic workers in to their respective Unions and there by make decent work available to all the domestic workers.
Earlier in the event a role play on the issues, challenges, conditions of domestic workers was performed by role play team. The JAF also prepared charter of demands on the issues and challenges of domestic workers and the same was approved by the members in the event.Following were the charter of demands adopted in the Jamboree:
- All efforts should be made to draw societal acceptance towards Domestic Work as “Work” and Domestic Workers as “Worker”;
- Minimum Wages for Domestic workers in Tamil Nadu should be immediately fixed and strictly implemented;
- The Government of India should take necessary steps to ratify Domestic Workers Convention C. 189 at the earliest;
- The Government of India and Tamil Nadu Government should adopt the National policy on Domestic Work and also implement the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) and extend it to Domestic workers in Tamil Nadu;
- Unionization - Remove all existing obstacles to Union registration, and Domestic workers should be free to join or form associations, federation, confederation of their own choices;
- There should be effective protection and promotion of human rights of Domestic workers;
- Fundamental Principles and Rights at work namely Freedom of Association (FOA) and Collective Bargaining CB in Domestic Work should be respected promoted and realized;
- There should be effective Protection for Domestic workers against all forms of abuse including sexual harassment and violence;
- Migrant Domestic Workers should be protected through proper and effective implementation of Inter State Migrant Workers Act;
- Formal contracts / agreements should be given to Domestic workers, Hours of Work and Overtime, rest time, holidays, weekly off, sick leave, annual leave, maternity leave etc. to be clearly mentioned in the contracts;
- Social Security for workers to be ensured, also adequate measures to be taken for the welfare of Domestic workers’ children who are generally ill, malnourished and not healthy due to lack of proper care and nutrition;
- Occupational Health and Safety for Domestic Workers should be ensured;
- In the modern context skills training to be provided to Domestic workers to enable them to be professional and well versed with the skills required for a skilled Domestic worker;
- Employers’ Accountability to be enhanced - Role of Employers as envisaged in the Draft National Policy on Domestic Workers to be enhanced;
- There should be Code of conduct and Code of practise for Employers and placement agencies;
- Regulation and compulsory registration of Private agencies recruiting and placing Domestic workers;
- Elimination of child Domestic workers, all forced or compulsory labour to be abolished; and
- Bonus/annual increments to be provided to Domestic workers as all other workers.