{"id":36694,"date":"2025-02-03T19:15:35","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T13:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=36694"},"modified":"2025-08-06T12:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T06:33:13","slug":"sc-legal-protection-domestic-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/03-02-2025\/sc-legal-protection-domestic-workers","title":{"rendered":"SC Pitched for Legal Protection of Domestic Workers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Society, GS2\/ Governance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>In News<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In a landmark move, the <strong>Supreme Court of India has directed the Union government<\/strong> to examine the need for a <strong>separate law for domestic workers<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Court has ordered the formation of an <strong>inter-ministerial committee<\/strong> to assess and recommend a <strong>legal framework<\/strong> for their <strong>benefit, protection, and regulation of rights<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Current Situation of Domestic Workers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>About:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Despite their crucial role in millions of households, domestic workers <strong>lack legal protection<\/strong> under many labour laws, including the <strong>Minimum Wages Act and the Equal Remuneration Act<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While some states have introduced regulations, there is <strong>no national-level law<\/strong> ensuring their rights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vulnerability and Exploitation:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Domestic work is a <strong>fem<\/strong><strong>inized occupation<\/strong>, with a large proportion of workers being <strong>women from marginalized communities<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Workers face <strong>low wages, job insecurity, and increased workloads<\/strong> without additional pay.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social security measures are almost non-existent<\/strong>, leaving workers vulnerable to financial crises.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Domestic work is <strong>socially undervalued<\/strong> and perceived as an inherent skill all women should possess, contributing to its invisibility and lack of recognition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges and Judicial Interventions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ILO Convention 189<\/strong>: India has <strong>not ratified<\/strong> this global standard on domestic workers\u2019 rights, which mandates fair wages, social security, and protection against abuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Judicial Orders on Placement Agencies<\/strong>: The Supreme Court has previously directed the <strong>registration of placement agencies<\/strong>, but enforcement remains weak, leaving workers unprotected.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Complex Employment Structures<\/strong>: Domestic work exists in <strong>multiple forms<\/strong>\u2014part-time, full-time, making it difficult to implement standardized protections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need for Inclusive Legislation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>separate law<\/strong> for domestic workers is essential to address their <strong>unique challenges<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Proof of Employment<\/strong>: Enforcing legal protections requires formal documentation of employment, which is currently difficult for workers to obtain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employer Resistance<\/strong>: Many employers do not recognize themselves as &#8220;employers&#8221; or consider their homes as formal workplaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Power Imbalance<\/strong>: The asymmetric employer-employee relationship\u2014where <strong>the employer\u2019s private space is the worker\u2019s workplace<\/strong>\u2014limits oversight and regulation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Opportunities and Challenges in Implementation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ensuring Core Entitlements<\/strong>: A well-structured law can <strong>establish minimum wages, regulate working hours, and provide social security<\/strong>, significantly improving conditions for domestic workers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Redefining Power Hierarchies<\/strong>: Legal protections will <strong>challenge the existing power dynamics<\/strong> and <strong>recognize the value of housework and care work<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional Considerations<\/strong>: States like <strong>Kerala and Delhi<\/strong> have implemented measures for domestic workers, which can serve as models for national legislation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenges in Enforcement<\/strong>: Even with a new law, <strong>effective implementation remains a key challenge<\/strong>, requiring strong <strong>monitoring mechanisms<\/strong> and <strong>employer accountability<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Supreme Court\u2019s directive presents a <strong>crucial opportunity<\/strong> to advocate for a <strong>national law<\/strong> protecting domestic workers. While legislation alone <strong>may not immediately<\/strong> transform working conditions, it is a <strong>necessary first step<\/strong> toward <strong>recognizing their rights, ensuring fair wages, and providing social security<\/strong>. The <strong>real impact<\/strong> will depend on the <strong>recommendations of the committee<\/strong> and the <strong>Union government\u2019s commitment<\/strong> to enforcing meaningful reforms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/opinion\/columns\/india-needs-a-law-to-protect-domestic-workers-rights-9813906\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a landmark move, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Union government to examine the need for a separate law for domestic workers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36694"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36694\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36695,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36694\/revisions\/36695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}