Minimum wages for domestic workers in Maharashtra

31 December 2011, Nagpur: The Maharashtra State labour department has issued a notification on 31 December 2011 for bringing employment in domestic work under Section 27 of Minimum Wages Act, 1948, whereby domestic workers will be included under the schedule for notification of minimum wages. The government has urged citizens to send their suggestions and objections within three months, so they can be considered while finalizing the draft.

The state government had enacted a separate law for domestic workers in 2008. A committee was set up in 2011 for implementing this law. The registration of domestic workers has started in seven districts in the first phase – Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban, Thane, Nagpur, Pune, Nashik and Aurangabad. The remaining districts will be covered in the second phase. The Maharashtra State Domestic Workers Board was formed on 12 August this year to cater to the needs of domestic workers. The registered workers will be eligible to avail the Janashree Bima Yojana, a life insurance cover for rural and urban poor. The board has received Rs 6.3 crore from the state to implement this programme. In addition, after registering with the board, a domestic worker whose children are studying in classes IX to XII will get Rs 100 per month as part of this scheme to aid the education of two children.

Domestic workers will be registered at the office of the labour department. The registration fee is Rs 90 per worker, who can register with the board by producing a copy of ration card, photo identity proof such as voters card/ Andhra card/ election card/ driving license and a written confirmation from the employer stating that the person registering has been employed by the household as a domestic worker.