CHENNAI: More than 400 domestic workers from 25 areas across the city stayed away from work protesting against the government’s inaction in protecting their rights and failure to fix minimum wages.

Responding to the one-day strike call given by Penn Thozhilalargal Sangam (PTS), an independent women workers’ union, its activists assembled at Gandhi Statue in Marina on Friday and also formed a human chain.They raised slogans and demanded that the government and employers must recognise their basic rights.

Sujata Mody, President of PTS, addressing the agitators said her Sangam had petitioned the government, raised the issue of increase in wages for women workers since 2006. “In 2007, the State government included domestic work under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The same year, PTS gave a detailed memorandum attested by over 2000 domestic workers demanding fixation of Rs 25 as a minimum wage.’’ She added that the Labour Department has taken two years to constitute an advisory committee to study the wages of domestic workers.

She urged the government to set a deadline for announcing a fair wage for domestic workers.

Parameswari, a district leader of PTS, who has been working for over 15 years, said: “Salaries for government employees, MLAs and MPs are increased at regular intervals. Even people working in banks and private companies can bargain for higher wages. Domestic workers expect the authorities to recognise their rights.

We want our wages to be fixed at a reasonable level at Rs 25 per hour.” The representatives of the union said that they would continue to campaign across the city and lobby with the government for a minimum wage of Rs 25 per hour, mandatory weekly holiday and annual bonus of one month’s salary. Women’s organisations and trade unions from Chennai and Bangalore also participated to express their solidarity.

source: Expressbuzz