Objectives:

• Identifying the national laws relating to migrant and domestic workers
• Consolidate inputs of Trade Unions and Civil Society Organizations and advocate for the ILO tripartite discussion on the Law and Practice report on domestic workers
• To draw a national advocacy plan for promotion, protection of the rights of migrant and domestic workers

The discussion on proposed ILO Convention on Domestic Workers was held on 6th August 2009 at Hotel Tea Villa Hatton in order to make the trade unions and civil society organizations on the proposed ILO Convention on Domestic Workers.
Institute of Social Development, a right based organization which focuses on labour rights of the plantation community conducted a study on internal migrant workers in year 2009 where it had identified the increasing domestic workers internally as well as externally migrated. While focusing on the above issue, it had identified the increasing problem of migrant workers regionally and globally and the vital role that the proposed convention of domestic workers of ILO can play in this regard. Taking the above matters into consideration, ISD planned to organize a workshop on domestic workers and the proposed convention drawing the attention of the trade unions and CSOs of the plantation sector.

Ms. K. Yogesheari, President of the Working Women’s Front delivering the introductory note highlighted the issues faced by domestic workers on sexual harassment and abuse and the necessity of bringing the domestic workers under legislation. Following the introductory note, Mr. S. Muralitharan who conducted the study on the migrant workers of the plantation community and their issues, emphasized the issues of the domestic workers under the globalization process bringing out three categories of domestic workers:
i. Domiciled Domestic Workers
ii. Daily Domestic Workers
iii. Task Based Domestic Workers
Moreover, Mr. Muralitharan articulated the issues regarding the fixed wage and non-statutory rights.

Subsequent to Mr. Muralitharan’s speech, Mr. P. Muthulingam, Director of ISD enlightened the participants on the ILO conference on Domestic Workers held in 2009 and the questionnaire sent to the state and trade unions to obtain the comments and suggestions.

At the review session, the participants were divided to four groups and were asked to deliver their comments and suggestions for the questionnaire created by the ILO. Collecting the suggestions and comments of the four groups, a document was complied and a discussion was initiated to demand a local legislation for the domestic workers. The floor agreed to send the comments regarding the proposed convention on domestic workers through network which links with the ILO.

After complying the suggestions, the filled ILO Questionnaire for Domestic Workers was submitted to the ILO.

Click here to view the filled questionnaire>>