Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 66

Minimum wage setting practices in domestic work: an inter-state analysis (India)

The aim of the study is to do a comparative analysis of the states that have notified minimum wages for domestic workers with a view to draw lessons from their experiences. The experiences of various states would help in delineating aspects of the law and its specificities that can make the intervention more meaningful. This would thus help in the formulation of best practices for wider application. Apart from these, the study also tried to capture broad outlines of the effect of statutory minimum wage intervention in terms of setting a wage floor and improving other conditions of work. Some broad issues
of implementation such as a lack of awareness among various stake holders and specific enforcement issues are also discussed in the study. The reservations / concerns and suggestions of concerned stakeholders for effective formulation and enforcement of minimum wages taking into account the specific situation of the state as well the overall conditions of employment are also captured.