Everyday across Delhi and India?s other metros, an unknown multiple of people, ready themselves for a day of work in the homes of others. Many of them have come to Delhi from poorer states in search of jobs and a better life. There are approximately 30 lakh domestic workers in the country and the sector is the largest employer for women in urban areas. It is estimated that the demand for domestic workers may increase by 5 lakh in Delhi alone over the next five years. Domestic workers operate entirely in the unorganised sector. While their existence is part of the everyday life of many urban households, they are highly unprotected and unregulated to the extent that they are almost invisible. With some exceptions at the state level, there is virtually no legal framework available for governing this sector. A lack of regulation extends to include the recruitment procedure, their employment terms and their working conditions, including working hours, day-off, wages, etc. Most workers are neither aware of their basic labour rights nor officially registered as a group or union. It is difficult for household employers too, as finding reliable household assistants is almost a matter of luck. There are many reports pointing to malpractices of unregistered placement agencies exploiting the weakest.
Where do we go from here? While there is a need to address the legal framework governing domestic work sector, we also need to recognise and raise the status of domestic work as a legitimate and bona fide occupation. Offering ?certified skill training and upgrading course? is the important first step towards making the profession legitimate. Those who are successful should then be registered properly, possibly with a skills card as this would make them ?visible?. The registration database can be used for employment referral and monitoring. Household employers can also use the database to verify the skill sets and basic background of job seekers. Such registration will help organise previously unorganised workers, and create linkages with social security schemes. Moreover, as the value of properly trained domestic workers appreciates, it helps wage to rise.
There is a misconception about domestic work being unskilled. Those who enter this work are expected to be able to do their tasks and to do them well. This is somewhat ironic, however, for anyone who has ever employed household assistants knows that there can be immense variation in their skills. Domestic workers start with simple, entry-level tasks which involve few skills and some of them then move to perform complex tasks which require greater skills. Like other occupations, there is career progression within domestic work, but this is not recognised. Skilled workers are better aware of household security and hygiene issues and possess better communication skills as well as functional literacy and numeracy. An initial survey by the ILO in fact found that the majority of the household employers surveyed were willing to pay higher wages for a skilled worker.
The Delhi Government and the ministry of labour & employment, along with the ILO, have been working together to find a way to improve the services offered by domestic workers, while simultaneously improving their living and working conditions in Delhi NCR. The idea is to professionalise the occupation through ?skills training plus? for the various tasks involved in domestic work. This is being organised on a pilot basis through training institutes in the NCR. If all goes well, it will be further expanded in this region and may provide a model to India?s other metros. The programme is a part of the Skill Development Initiative launched in 2007. Successful candidates will obtain a certificate issued by the national council for vocational training. As over 90% of domestic workers have little or no formal education, they are keen to obtain this certificate which, for the majority, would be the first official certificate they would possess.
?The author is senior specialist, skills & training policy, ILO Delhi