New Delhi, Sept 07: The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Union Labour Ministry and National Commission for Women (NCW) on a public interest litigation accusing the government of doing precious little to protect the rights of thousands of domestic workers who lead a pitiable life. However, despite issuance of notices quite sometime back on the petition, which sought early enactment of legislation for protection of rights of domestic workers, none from the labour ministry and the NCW filed response.

A bench comprising Justice Ruma Pal and Justice P V Reddi on Friday asked the petitioner NGO - National Domestic Workers Welfare Trust (NDWWT) - to serve a copy of the petition on the Union Government through Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee.

The Mumbai-based petitioners - NDWWT, Setu and youth for unity and voluntary organisation - submitted that domestic workers in India remain excluded from all types of labour legislations enacted so far.
Counsel for petitioners, Colin Gonsalves and Aparna Bhat, argued that despite India ratifying many of the labour related international conventions, it has failed to enact any law for amelioration of the condition of the domestic workers and provide them with some sort of social security.

"Domestic workers, being in the blindsport of legislation, are unprotected with no avenues for redressal available and they are bonded to their employers," they said.
Bureau Report