Speakers call for giving ‘labour’ status to domestic workers

Most of the women working as domestic help migrated to Karachi.

KARACHI:

The need for unions and giving the status of labourers to domestic workers in Pakistan were discussed by the representatives of non-governmental organisations, trade unions and the members of civil society at a seminar on Friday.

The seminar was titled “Consultation on the issues of a domestic worker,” and was organised by National Organisation for Working Communities (NOW Communities).

Farhat Parveen, the executive director of NOW Communities, said that most of the women working as domestic help have migrated to Karachi from Southern Punjab, Balochistan or other areas.

According to Parveen, these women are paid between Rs3,000 and Rs6,000 monthly and on an average have eight to 10 family members. “We found out in a survey that 95% women were married and 90% of the children did not go to school,” she said. The survey was conducted in Orangi Town, Surjani Town and Baldia Town areas and women worked in DHA, Clifton, Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and also in their own areas. Around 27% of the women used public transport to reach work while others just walked, said Parveen.

Zubaida, a domestic worker, told the audience that she lived in Surjani Town and earned Rs3,000 per month. Her husband had a second wife while he was the only breadwinner for her family. “I did not get any money from Benazir Income Support Programme even though I kept the documents safe for months,” she said. Almost every other domestic helper present at the seminar had the same complaint.

A representative of International Union of Food, Qamar-ul-Hasan, asserted that global organisations should speed up their efforts to implement the new convention of International Labour Organisation (ILO) in every country. He also demanded recognising domestic workers as labourers. “When they are recognised they will be able to avail a number of facilities including healthcare facilities, minimum wages and more.” said Hasan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2011.