New Delhi, July 04: Espousing the cause of
domestic helps, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday
favoured fixing a minimum wage for them.
"When we talk of minimum wages for the labour workforce, we should also have minimum wages for domestic workers," she said at a function here that saw the launch of a skill development for them.
The wages can be worked out based on the hours they put in, she said adding, her government will work out the issue with the Labour Department.
Pointing out that domestic helps have become an integral part of households, Dikshit said the society should equally be sensitive to their emotional needs and requirements.
"I would request all to call them as 'didi' (sister)
in recognition of their contribution to the wellbeing of the
family," the Chief Minister said.
The programme, which seeks to improve services of
domestic workers and enhance their employability, living and
working conditions, will train about 250 workers on pilot
basis in Jahangirpuri and Defence Colony.
The programme is the joint initiative of the Labour
Ministry, the Delhi Government and the ILO.
The skill development programmes will be imparted by
training institutes such as Prayas and TMI-Academy.
The fees of the training programme will be refunded
to the trainees once the programme is over, the Delhi Chief
Minister said.
The initiative is expected to be a boon to the
workforce as International Labour Organisation estimates that
in the Delhi region alone six lakh domestic workers will be
needed in the next five years.
"What makes the initiative special is that it is part
of a broader national skill development initiative programme
of the Centre to train one million workforce over the next
five years," said Director of the ILO sub-regional office here
Leyla Tegmo-Reddy.
She said the skill development initiative will
register the trainees and issue a card which records their
skill sets and basic bio data.
"It will assist household employers to find domestic
helps with the right skill sets while legitimising the status
of domestic workers," Reddy said.
"We are also hoping to make a linkage between such a
skill card and database and social security scheme for
domestic workers," she said.
Bureau Report