• Sensitize people about domestic workers rights
• Register domestic workers as a member
• Better monitoring to have a safe working condition
• Discourage children in domestic work
• Include domestic workers under Minimum Wages Act (Nagaland)
Dimapur, July 8 (MExN): “In Naga society today- domestic workers and eastern Nagas have become synonymous.” This was observed and “unanimously agreed” by all the members attending the consultative meeting with the representatives of the Eastern Nagas specially the executive member, tribal unit presidents, women organizations and student bodies on July 8.
The meeting was organized by Assisi Centre for Integrated Development cum National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM).
Sr. Pramila Lobo, Coordinator, National Domestic Workers Movement-Nagaland Region in a press release stated that in the meeting, issues for the welfare of domestic workers such as safe migration from rural villages to places like Dimapur, Kohima etc, to sensitize people about domestic workers rights and to register domestic workers as a member either with their respective village council/tribal unit bodies or National Domestic Workers Movement – Nagaland region, mainly to have a better monitoring or follow up so as to have a safe working condition.
All the members at the meeting that there was a felt-need that the domestic workers right need to be protected more so because the nature of their work is unregulated and isolated i.e. “they work within closed doors of someone’s home which make them even more vulnerable by making them invisible,” Sr Pramila stated.
Different tribal units representative was also of the view that most of the domestic workers are brought in places like Dimapur and Kohima in lieu of providing better education and more so by thinking that domestic workers could contribute to the family earning since they send back remittances or money back to the family wherein over the years they indirectly become the bread winner for their family. “And because of these reasons, domestic workers continue to be exploited by their parents and the employers,” the release maintained.
The meeting resolved to discourage children in domestic work and that domestic workers should be treated fairly. The members also arrived at a point that the Nagaland government should include domestic workers in the schedule of employment under the Minimum Wages Act (Nagaland).
