Describing the formation of Pune District Molkarin Sanghatana out of a spontaneous strike of women domestic workers, and its achievements since then, Medha Thatte details the efforts of women to close down liquor shops-a serious community problem, and also to establish gratuity payments to domestic workers as a standard practice.

Pune District Molkarin Sanghatana (originally named Pune Shahar Molkarin Sanghatana) was born during the course of a spontaneous strike by domestic workers in Pune in the early 1980s. The strike rapidly spread to various parts of Pune city against the background of rising prices of all essential commodities alongside years of stagnant wages and the adamant refusal of householders to raise the wages of their domestic workers. When the Pune District Molkarin Sanghatana was formed, there was no other organisation in the city to lead the struggle and give it shape and direction.

In its efforts to organise domestic workers, the focus was on forming committees in the jhuggies (slums), where the activists would enroll members, take up their day-to-day problems and help solve them. These committees also became the centres for mobilisation for wider struggles and for raising activists.

Immediately after the formation of the organisation, a morcha was taken out to the District Collector`s office, and later, in Mumbai, to the Maharashtra government, demanding a legislation for the protection of right and benefits of domestic workers as well as the regulation of service conditions and provision of social security. A model draft legislation was submitted to the state government. The Maharashtra government has since passed an Act for domestic workers-the Domestic Workers Act 2008-which is the first and only such legislation in the country. Nothing much has been done concerning this Act. Although the Act suggested that boards be constituted, no such boards have been constituted. Besides, there is no budgetary allocation for providing the benefits suggested in the Act, for example, old-age pension, educational support for children, sickness benefits, etc. In Maharashtra, there are around 2.5 lakh domestic workers and if the basic minimum of Rs 200 is to be provided to these workers, money should be set apart by the government. The Molkarin Sanghatana has decided to take up the issue very strongly and build pressure.

Our Struggles and Achievements

The Molkarin Sanghatana has engaged in various struggles and has had a number of significant achievements.

In Pune, there are an innumerable liquor shops, which produce and sell liquor illegally. These shops, located in the jhuggi clusters attract large numbers of men. The family counselling centre had to tackle issues of frequent fights in families because of the drinking habits of male members. Being part of this society, the members of the Molkarin Sanghatana thought that action should be taken up immediately to sort out these issues. They went in large numbers to these shops and asked the shopkeepers to wind up the business and leave the place. The police were in support of the shopkeepers and refused to listen to the activists. The activists then opted for more aggressive methods. They entered the shops, emptied the liquor barrels, broke the glasses and other utensils in the shop and asked them to leave the place. The police intervened and had to plead with them to stop such activities. They continued to do so till most of the illegal shops were closed. They even captured the vehicles that brought the liquor and destroyed the liquor inside the vehicles. The vendors had no option but to close down. The youngsters in the locality also supported them in these activities. Now, problems related to liquor are no longer so serious.

Gratuity for domestic workers was something that one could not even dream of until recently. However, it will soon become a law in Maharashtra. Many people are paying gratuity now, even before the law has been enacted. Efforts were made to convince the employers through the family counselling centres. The Molkarin Sanghatana runs the counselling centre and people visit the centre to find solutions to issues. Domestic workers, who complain about their employer, and employers, who have problems with the domestic workers, come to the centre. It is through this counselling that the idea of giving gratuity to the workers was mooted. Almost all the employers were against this idea; however, slowly pressure was exerted on them to agree. The employers who refused to pay gratuity were denied maids for work in their homes. The maids, who were going to take up jobs in these households, were convinced not to do so. Now, gratuity is being given to the maids without any pressure. The social movement and the pressure built up for this has borne fruit.

A number of sustained interventions have also been established. Women activists from the domestic workers` movement run a bi-weekly centre for solving domestic problems of the poor people, women in particular, aided by a few lawyers. This centre has been active since 1986 and by now over 15,000 disputes in poor families, including cases of domestic violence, have been attended to. Perhaps, more significantly, domestic worker activists have formed a separate organisation called Shramik Mahila Morcha, on whose behalf the centre is run. Besides, it is also used as a forum for participation and development of various actions and activities of the women`s liberation movement, for instance, participation in the programmes of International Women`s Day on 8 March every year. Whenever any cases of rape or cruel acts against domestic workers or women or children are reported, the activists of the Sanghatana make their presence felt by effective intervention.

Directions of Future Work

Domestic workers form a part of the unorganised workers, who constitute 93% of the total workforce of India. When fighting for their own issues, domestic workers form a part of the wider struggle of millions of unorganised workers of the country struggling for dignity and recognition as humans. There is strong need for special training courses for domestic workers so that they handle the changing nature of their work competently.