WOMEN WORKERS SHARE THEIR STRUGGLES, INTERNATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS PLEDGE SUPPORT EVEN AS SEWA SUBMITS MEMORANDUM WITH KEY DEMANDS LIKE NATIONAL POLICY FOR HOME BASED WORKERS, SOCIAL SECURITY, PROTECTION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE and OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
On April 23, 2024, a large army of 1,000 home-based leaders of SEWA from across India, who conventionally toil inside their homes to eke a living, congregated at the Tagore Hall of Ahmedabad city in Gujarat to take part in the National Convention for the Home Based Workers organized by Self Employed Women’s Association. The women leaders stepped out of their homes with a unified objective of raising their visibility as workers and a significant contributor to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.
`Today is our day’, the home based worker women applauded at the convention which was attended by esteemed guests. The esteemed guests present at the Convention were from International Labour Organization (ILO) Delhi Office Director – Sister Michiko Miyamoto; Brother S. M Fahimuddin Pasha- Director of Worker’s Rights at ITUC-Asia Pacific; Brother Ashutosh Bhattacharya- Regional Secretary, IndustriAll; Sister Shruti Modi- Additional Labour Commissioner, Labour and Employment, Government of Gujarat and Sister Janhavi Dave- Coordination HomeNet International.
Jyoti Macwan, General Secretary of SEWA, who opened the session reminisced how the term Home Based Worker was coined by SEWA founder Elaben Bhatt and propagated globally to give recognition to women making a living by working in different trades from their homes.
“Elaben may not be present with us physically, but SEWA will continue to earnestly follow the path guided by her and committed to achieve the goal of winning Voice, Visibility and Validation for the Home Based Workers,” said Macwan.
Manali Shah, National Secretary, SEWA evoked Elaben Bhatt’s thoughts and speeches that have motivated women struggling to eke a living in the unorganized sector in the country for decades now. Shah said that part of Elaben’s aspirations for the Home Based Workers have been achieved. “The time has come now that we collectively raise the Voice of these workers to make them Visible and get them Validation for their hard work,” Shah said.
The general secretary and national secretary submitted a memorandum to Sister Michiko Miyamoto, director of ILO-New Delhi on behalf of SEWA underscoring the demands of an estimated 30 million Home Based Workers in India. Primary demands included that ILO should push the Government to form a comprehensive Policy for the Home Based Workers as a first step in India while the C177 on home work is ratified in the country. Key among other demands included an action research study of Home Based Workers in five states to understand the impact of climate change on their respective trades and develop a local R&D centre for innovation to resolve issues like workplace design, occupational health hazards, lack of skill development and limited knowledge on latest market trends.
A short video depicting work-life challenges of a Home Based Worker was played at the convention. Women leaders from different states where SEWA is working with home-based workers shared the challenges they faced professionally.
Kamla Ben from Bikaner, Rajasthan who rolls papads (lentil crispies eaten along with traditional Indian meals) for the past 20 years raised the important issue of occupational health hazard of poor ergonomics in her trade. “I sit continuously for hours on my knees to give adequate pressure to roll out thin papads which leaves me grappling with chronic knee, back and neck pain. My palms have developed calluses which hurt my children when I cuddle them with love,” Kamla Ben said.
The papad rollers expressed apprehension over the adverse impact of climate change on their trade and income as regular unseasonal rains or extreme heat ruin the papad quality minimising their incomes as agents cut their remuneration if the quality of the product is compromised.
Women home-based leaders raised significant issues of the need of social security for them as most trades adversely impacted their health. Women workers also spoke about disparity of work and incomes for them as they work in isolation and lack the skill sets to withstand the Global market demands.
Beedi rollers from West Bengal voiced exploitation by traders/contractors who deducted their remuneration on whim citing petty reasons. “Since the Beedi Workers Welfare Act has been repealed, we are without any security now”.
Women workers stressed the need of social security plans for Home Based Workers enumerated how most of them are not able to educate their children with higher studies and pay medical expenses with their meagre incomes.
Sister Maria Helena, Director, ILO, Geneva shared a Video message on this occasion and recognized the efforts of SEWA to organize the unreachable home-based workers. She acknowledged the large number of women workers in this category of workers and said they remain poor and vulnerable because they are invisible. While remembering SEWA’s efforts for the formation of ILO Convention 177 and Recommendation 198 for the home-based workers, Sister Maria Helena said that these are very important instruments to raise the voice for the rights of the home-based workers.
Sister Helena said that trade unions like SEWA should collectivize the strength and advocate for the ratification of the same in their countries. Organizations like SEWA share the responsibility of shaping a better future of work for the home-based workers and she extended the support of ILO Actrav office in the entire struggle. “The convention is the beginning of the struggles and I give my best wishes for the wishes for the success of it,” said Sister Helena.
Sister Michiko Miyamoto, Director, ILO Delhi office said that hearing voices of women who work from homes was a learning experience for her. She pledged her support on working with SEWA for pushing the Government to form National Policy
for these workers as well as for the ratification of the ILO Convention 177.
“Home Based Workers are many in India and when they all come together, their being organized can become their biggest strength. Training modules of ILO should be used for the same,” Sister Miyamoto said.
Brother Fahim Pasha from ITUC AP expressed delight that three generations of women leaders of SEWA were present to represent home based workers at the convention. “Three generations of SEWA women are present and the fourth generation of leaders is getting ready. This is the strength of SEWA. We recognize the movement created by SEWA for the ratification of ILO convention 177 and National Policy for the home-based workers, ITUC AP will support the same,” said Brother Pasha who motivated women workers to organize and increase their collective strength.
Brother Ashutosh Bhattacharya from IndustriAll said that he was taken aback by the plight of home based workers. IndustriAll is in solidarity with these women workers. Sister Janhavi from HomeNet International urged SEWA home based workers to acknowledge themselves for the work they do. “Ela ben dreamt of widening the visibility of the home-based workers globally and through HomeNet International, we have been able to achieve it,” said Janhavi Ben.
At the end of the Convention, a memorandum was handed over to the esteemed guests from ILO, ITUC AP and IndustriAll. (Link for the Memorandum) and vote of thanks by Sister Madhuri Sinha, General Secretary SEWA in Bihar and Sister Lata Vice President SEWA in Delhi. The national convention ended in keeping with the tradition of SEWA with women workers singing the “We shall overcome” song in different tongues but with a unified spirit.
KEY DEMANDS FROM SEWA’S MOU FOR IMPROVING LIVES & INCOMES OF HOME BASED WORKERS
1. ILO should take forward the drive to ratify the C177 in at least 3 south Asian
countries -India, Nepal, Pakistan.
2. Through tripartite meetings, ILO should develop a comprehensive National Policy for the Home-based workers as a first step in our country while the C177 is being ratified.
3. ILO should conduct an action research study of Home-based work in five States
on the impact of climate change on their trades.
4. We urge the ILO to develop a local Research & Development (R&D) centre for innovation to resolve issues like workspace design, occupational related health issues, lack of skills development and limited knowledge on latest market trends for home-based workers. We urge the State Governments to formulate policy for Home based workers.
5. Government should identify the trades of home-based workers and declare the
minimum wages on piece rate as they are getting the wages on piece rate.
6. Under the E-Shram, the Government should initiate giving social security to home-based workers. It should cover basic social security schemes for – Old age pension; life and disability insurance; child care; maternity benefit; healthcare benefit; education for children and even housing subsidy, as home is their workspace. ILO should support this intervention with the Government. Later trade specific social security schemes should also be developed by the Government.
7. While identifying the significant repercussions of climate change on home- based workers, it is important to devise mechanisms to reduce its adverse effect on these workers as well increase their resilience.
8. Government should link all HBWs with the ESI and it should start with 74 lakhs beedi workers because after repeal of the Beedi and Cigar Workers Welfare CESS Act, 1976, beedi workers are bereft from any social security schemes.
9. Government should include all home-based workers in relevant policies and guidelines in all the labour codes and regulations and ILO should engage itself in interventions at all levels for attaining the same.
10. The Government of India declared the National Policy on Occupational Safety, Health and Environment at Workplace on 9th February 2009. The Policy also aims at providing a statutory framework on Occupational Safety and Health in respect of all sectors. It is required that Home-based workers should also be included in this Policy. A study to understand the effects of their work on their health should be conducted and based on the report of the study, further preventive and curative steps/ measures must be taken. In addition, the Government should conduct a study on occupational health in 5 trades of home-based workers.
11. To ensure the inclusion of the home-based workers in all the present relevant
schemes of the government.
12. A National minimum wage as the work keeps shifting either inter-State or intra-
State depending on the minimum wage in the given city or State.
13. We urge the ITUC-AP to take forward the Resolution No 2 passed in the 5th ITUC -Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Bangkok, Thailand on 20-22 November 2023.
