BENGALURU: Each morning, scores of women leave their homes, walk or take buses, and hurry to the residences where they are hired as domestic workers, tasked with performing various chores to ensure upkeep and maintenance of those dwellings. Finishing with one house, these women make their way to another, and then another, and another, and by evening, exhausted, return home.
From the drudgery they endure for a not-so-attractive pay, to the difficulty in finding time to even rest, eat a decent meal, or find washrooms on a busy day, all this ordeal is part of a day’s ‘shift’. The most critical point is the lack of respect and dignity they face.
“Domestic workers face rape, assault, caste discrimination, and even theft allegations. They are treated like slaves with no rights of their own,” says Geeta Menon, founder – Stree Jagruti Samiti, and Joint Secretary – Domestic Workers Rights Union (DWRU).
DWRU, which was envisioned 12 years ago, aims to change the mindset of people towards domestic workers and giving the latter a platform to raise their voices. They have managed to lend a voice to workers’ rights and strengthened the community to fight against the injustice they face.
Earlier, workers suffered in silence. Now, they have begun to show courage and are speaking out against injustice. Since they are not identified as mainstream workers, there are no laws or regulations protecting them. This is where the union has come as a boon for them by becoming a grievance redressal mechanism. “The mindset of not just workers, even that of employers has evolved over time with the continuous outreach, meetings, camps and protests organised by the union. Several employer associations are trying to treat workers equally and not as bonded labourers,” DWRU members say.
Alamelu (43), a domestic worker from Bengaluru, says, “It’s been five years since I learnt about DWRU, which has given us a platform to fight for our rights. Earlier, we would not know who to approach for help.” Especially during the pandemic, many were out of work and the union provided them with ration, books, and even managed to get Rs 2,000 as an incentive from the government that benefited over 2,000 workers across Karnataka.
Lack of recognition
Several workers at a recently organised general body meeting of DWRU, however, claimed that in the time of need, there was no government support. DWRU took the initiative to identify workers and provide them their basic needs, along with financial aid to their families, including helping them apply for scholarships for their kids.
Geeta says the workers are more confident now, and able to negotiate wages. The only area that lacks progress is at the government’s end. Despite several bills placed in the Assembly and protests seeking workers’ rights, the issue has barely moved an inch legally. Despite contributing to the country’s GDP, they are still fighting for recognition, members opine.
Meanwhile, the union has emerged as an extended family for all workers, not just in Bengaluru, but also in Belagavi and Mangaluru. DWRU, along with the National Alliance of Domestic Workers and several other groups, has emerged as torch-bearers for domestic workers across the country.
The nature of domestic workers’ profession has made it difficult to set up unions, organise meetings and hold personalised workshops to increase their knowledge and develop their skills, Geeta says. Moving forward, DWRU aims to create a larger database of domestic workers across the state and ensure more members develop leadership qualities and participate actively towards working for their rights. It’s a long battle, not at all in a day’s work!