Maid In India ?

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Dear Friends ,

Sam Ramaswamy ( Instruments Div ) , commented on my yesterday's blog (  L&T Story - 1 ) , which I had also posted on my Facebook page

I copied his comments below the blog , at ,

www.hemenparekh.in  >  Blogs

Feel free to add your own comments there

Or , even better , write your own stories there  !

In the meantime , find below , my today's blog

I am sure , even in today's blog , you have many things to add !

regards,

hcp

PS:

I have already sent today's blog to Shri Bandaru Dattatreyaji

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Maid    in   India   ?

That is the title of a news-report that appeared in Economic Times ( 06 Aug 2015 )

It seems Central Labour Ministry is about to come out with a ,

"  National Policy for Domestic Workers " ,

whose salient provisions could be :

>    Hiring of domestic workers only through a Placement Agency

>    Employer/Employee to sign a formal Contract , listing " Standard

      Practices " (- like , Model Standing Order / Show-cause Notice /

      Domestic Inquiry etc ? )

>   Placement Agency + 2 Trade Union Reps to be the " Third Parties "

     to the contract ( - to be signed before a Labour Commissioner  ? )

>   Employer will be responsible for :

    *   Social Security

    *   Payment of Minimum Wages ( - what about " Annual Bonus " ? )

    *   Weekly Off

    *   Maternity Leave of 2 months

    *   30 days of Paid Leave per year

    *   Contribution to ESIS / EPF

    *   Providing proper accommodation ( - will 1BHK suffice ?  )

    *   Providing Meals  ( - if employed by a Govt Officer )

Although not mentioned in the article , I have no doubt that the proposed Policy / Act / Law , will also cover , explicit provisions , covering :

  *   Detailed " Job Descriptions " for each type of domestic job

  *   Grades ( Unskilled / Semi Skilled / Highly Skilled , etc )

  *   Wage / Salary Scales

  *   Dearness Allowance  ( linked to CPI for 100 % neutralization  ? )

  *   House Rent Allowance ( when house is not provided )

  *   Leave Travel Allowance ( not necessarily , to home town visits ?  )

  *   Children's Education Allowance

  *   Bachelor's Allowance ( for employees without children ? )

  *   Outstation Allowance / Travelling Allowance

  *  " Stay - at - home " Allowance , when employer is on holiday  !

  *   Washing Allowance ( for uniforms to be supplied by Employer )

  *   Local Conveyance Allowance ( when Scooter is not provided ? )

  *   Lunch Allowance ( when meals are not provided )

  *   Shift Allowance ( if required to work in second shift )

  *   Overtime Wages @ 250 % of normal wages

  *   Machine Operating Allowance

      [  if required to operate domestic appliances such as Grinder/Mixer ,

      Dish Washer , Washing Machine , Micro-wave Oven , Gas Stove ,

      Vacuum Cleaner , Refrigerator , Pressure Cooker etc  ]

  *   Compensatory Working Allowance

  *   Casual Leave / Sick Leave / Accident Leave

  *   Leave without Pay

  *   Accumulation / Encashment of PL

  *   Paid Holidays

  *   Effective Working Hours / Shift Timings

  *   ID badge / Job Time Card / Clock Punching

  *   Supply of Uniforms / Safety Shoes / Umbrellas etc

  *   Providing of Creche ( for Employee's Children )

  *   A clearly defined / time-bound , Promotion Policy

  *   Probationary Period / Retirement Age / Gratuity

  *   Grievance Procedure............... etc

Have I left out any other provision ? Readers are invited to contribute

What could be the implications if this Act is passed  ?

#    Tremendous increase in corruption

      {  Always happens when you pass an " Unobservable Law " , which gets

       broken , a million times a day ! }

#    Birth of a " Parallel / Illegal " Employment Market

#    Endless litigation ( with great demand for Labour Lawyers ! )

#    Huge slowdown in hiring of domestic help , rendering millions of

      domestic servants , jobless

#    Deterioration of Work Ethics  ?

 #   Huge boost to manufacture of Domestic Appliances ( MakeinIndia ? ),

      which may be able to absorb some of the domestic help rendered

      jobless - after re-skilling  . Making best of a bad bargain !

Does anyone get a sense that we are trying to fix things which do not need

fixing  ?

Have we got our priorities , all mixed up  ?

And pray , when did you last try to hire a house maid ?

If you too , feel that we should leave this matter to be settled , one-on-one , between the Employer and the Domestic Worker , do forward this blog to :

Shri Bandaru Dattatreyaji, Minister for Labour (bandaru@sansad.nic.in )

Or send your feedback from  : www.labour.gov.in

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hemen  parekh

11 Aug  2015