Unionzing Domestic Workers: Case Study of the INTUC-Karnataka Domestic Workers Congress

This report narrates the experiences of domestic workers of a southern state of India, Karnataka. It is a specific case study of domestic workers from one of the fastest growing urban centres of India and the experiences, agony, issues, problems, and concerns of domestic workers of this region are not entirely unique to them. Similar experiences of domestic workers exist in other parts of the world and there might be variations owing to certain cultural specificities.

This report attempts to capture the minute details of the entire process of organizing domestic workers into a trade union under Karnataka Domestic Workers’ Congress. This report gives an account of the efforts made by one of India’s major national trade union centres, that is, INTUC. With INTUC’s help, the KDWC successfully put forward the issues involved in organizing domestic workers, especially women informal workers. The report also poses valid questions about the institution of caste in the lives of women who are compelled to enter the labour market as paid domestic workers. It also offers a critical analysis of the functioning of domestic workers’ unions and examines the role of various agencies in securing the benefits entitled to domestic workers. It documents the successes and failures of such attempts and captures the experiences of organizing the informal women workforce. Above all, this report narrates the sorrows, joys, experiences, women bonding, spirit of collectiveness, societal odds against women’s involvement in public domain, and capabilities of women as organizers/group leaders/union leaders.