Detailing the efforts of CITU to generate a comprehensive, detailed and systematic picture of the domestic workers in Mumbai, as an integral aspect of developing effective trade union organisations for domestic workers, Shubha Shamim highlights various social and economic details of the workforce as well as the plan to establish training centres and future plans.

Rural Maharashtra has been suffering from a severe agricultural crisis since the early 1990s. It has also seen a prolonged crisis in industry, with widespread closure of small and medium factories, especially in small industrial towns, which employed many people from adjoining villages. This has resulted in an exodus of the rural population to metropolitan cities. This newly shifted population is illiterate or semi-literate and is unable to get decent employment. They enter the unorganised, or informal, sector, which pays them poorly and does not offer them any job security. In such a situation, the so-called `head of the family` often collapses, and looks to various vices as a means to escape from the burden of running the house. This throws the women of this deprived class into the job market, where they are looked down upon because they occupy a very low position as far as education and skills are concerned. The only skill that they have and which can get them a job immediately without formal training is domestic work, which they have been traditionally doing as home-makers.

At the same time, the middle class in urban areas has also expanded. Neo-liberal economic policies have created a class that has high income levels and high levels of lifestyle consumption. A common feature of this lifestyle today is the large, professionally decorated apartment, which must be kept perfectly and reflects the status of the occupant. The `party culture`, widespread today, has added to the burden of hospitality, which has always been the woman`s responsibility. The challenge of maintaining this changed lifestyle has compelled middle-class women into the job market. Increased levels of education among women of urban areas too have contributed to their seeking employment, which may be remunerative but also makes a great demand on their time. Moreover, joint families have given way to the nuclear families. All these factors have contributed to the need for domestic assistance.

There has been, therefore, a phenomenal increase in the number of women seeking employment as domestic workers in Maharashtra. The number of domestic workers has been estimated at more than 1.5 million. Such a large number may create competition but also has the possibility of co-operation. Because most of the domestic workers are first- or second-generation migrants, they still have their roots in rural areas, and many of them have to visit their village periodically. During such visits, they need to arrange for replacements. There is also a tendency for employers to employ more than one worker to do different chores. So, workers staying or working in the same area are interacting with each other constantly. This interaction creates opportunities for workers to discuss their work, their dissatisfaction with the poor working conditions, the exploitation and the lack of social security, and has led to some of them organising themselves.

Organisations of Domestic Workers in Maharashtra

There have been a few attempts by independent organisations in the last two decades to organise domestic workers in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. However, they did not have sufficient strength to influence the government because they were limited to specific geographical areas within the city in which they operated, did not have a state-level network and did not draft a specific agenda aimed to influence the policies of the government.

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) decided to work among domestic workers at the state level in 2002 although it was already doing so informally in many districts. Its sister organisation, the All India Democratic Women`s Association (AIDW), has been working among these workers since the 1980s. In 2002, CITU and AIDW decided to formalise their activities among domestic workers and started registering their unions under the Trade Union Act in district after district. Unions in Pune were a pioneer in this, and the Pune Zilla Ghar Kamgar Sanghatana (PZGKS) was registered in 2004, followed by registration of unions in Nasik, Solapur, Aurangabad, Nanded, Jalna, Mumbai-Navi Mumbai, Wardha, Ahemednagar, Nagpur, Chandrapur, Amaravati and Kolhapur. Parbhani, Satara, Sangali, Dhule, Beed, Jalgaon and Gondia are well on their way to registering their unions. The total membership was expected to reach 50,000 by end-2007; however, it reached only 35,000 due to the strong resistance faced in the struggle for social security and legislation regulating work below the poverty line and the provision of ration cards.

All the organisations, including registered unions and unions in the process of registering, announced the formation of a state-level body in their first state-level convention held in Pune on 27 August 2005, attended by more than 5,000 domestic workers. At the first conference, attended by the representatives of all the registered unions of domestic workers in the state in Nasik on 5 August 2006, a State Co-ordination Committee was formed. The Committee meets regularly to discuss and identify the problems that need to be addressed, the demands to be placed and the plans of action.

Socio-economic Survey of Domestic Workers

More than 35,000 domestic workers, among them 20,000 from Pune, have been registered in the state. On becoming members, all CITU-affiliated unions fill up a detailed survey form. Currently, the analyses of 9,716 forms are complete, with further analysis to be undertaken in the near future.

The points on which details have been collected are age, education, religion, caste, marital status, physical and health problems, operations if any, savings in banks or self help groups, insurance, debts taken through private or public sources, ration-cards; information about the family members, that is, the number of children, education, occupation, income, and information about their work, that is, the names and addresses of all the employers, hours spent in each household, chores done, number of rooms, persons and wages paid, etc.

The sub-total of illiterate, neo-literate and women with primary-level education (that is, barely literate) is 78.34 per cent, whereas the percentage of women earning up to Rs 1,000 is 72.31, and between Rs 1,001 to 2,000 is 18.73. This shows that lack of education is very likely a factor, besides other important factors, which strongly contribute to a low level of income. Domestic work has never been considered a productive and gainful economic activity and it has always remained an unpaid, invisible and thankless work, done exclusively by housewives. The low status of the work itself is the main factor responsible for the low wages of domestic workers. The other factors are lack of coverage by labour laws such as the Minimum Wages Act and the lack of organisations that can fight for their rights and have some influence on the policies of the government. Table-2 also shows that only 1 per cent of the domestic workers earn more than Rs 3,000. But the fact that they can earn up to Rs 5,000 suggests that if their level of education or skills are enhanced, they can enter the section of domestic workers, who have a reasonable income.

The need to earn more becomes even more significant considering the fact that there is a high percentage of women, who are either the sole bread-earners or contribute more than 50 per cent to the gross family income, whether married or unmarried. Table-3 show the volume of domestic workers, who contribute significantly to their family income. Eighty-one per cent of domestic workers make more than 50 per cent contribution to the gross family income.

Analysis of Social Classification of Domestic Workers

The fact that most domestic workers come from the lower social strata can be seen from Table-4. These belong to the deprived section of society comprising dalits, tribals, other backward castes (OBCs) and minorities. The percentage of tribals will be more in the predominantly tribal district.

The Need for Skill Enhancement Programmes

Families of the new middle class predominantly earn a double salary, and make use of modern amenities and gadgets in their luxurious apartments. They have everything that money can buy but do not have time or inclination to run their homes or expensive gadgets. The standard of domestic service they expect is very high. They are also ready to pay higher wages if they get what they expect. Such highly professional service, obviously, cannot be given without proper training. The role of the organisations working among domestic workers will have to be modified in this light. These organisations must continue with their important struggle against exploitation and their demand for having domestic workers covered by labour laws and social security. They must also cater to the needs of the domestic workers to gain the skills they need to perform their daily routine.

The Future

The PZGKS has registered more than 26,000 domestic workers in Pune and has recorded all the details about them and given them photo-identity cards. It has categorised them, according to their education and are making preparations for setting up a training centre. It has identified cadres that can take exclusive responsibility for the training. A detailed project will be planned and implemented within six months. Short-term, part-time certificate courses will be started in different areas that have a concentrated population of domestic workers. Hopefully, significant progress in securing the rights of domestic workers will be made.