Stakeholders meet to discuss domestic workers issue

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government should raise the current minimum wage for domestic workers to Rs.100 per hour and allocate 1 percent of the property tax to the domestic workers welfare board, urged members of Tamil Nadu domestic workers welfare trust and department of service learning of Loyola college on Saturday during a convention organised to discuss about the domestic workers issue here in the city.

The stakeholders demanded a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 for domestic workers over 55 years of age and urged the state and centre to have policies that are aimed at addressing the safety and rights of the domestic workers.

The government must form an internal complaints committee at the taluk level and include civil society organizations, unions and women's representatives in order for the committee to function effectively.

"When we work in textiles the employees do not provide us with toilets and it is our need to ask the employer for the same. While working in hotels we should ask for mask or gloves while cleaning. We are not respected or treated equally in households where we work also" said Parimala Ravi, a domestic worker, who participated in the event.