Domestic workers are the third-largest category of workers after agriculture and construction in India. They form a significant part of the total workforce in the informal sector in India. An overwhelming majority of them are women.
The employment fragility of domestic workers has been often brought out in the media. Their wages are entirely self-negotiated and dependent on the employer’s goodwill. Without the protection of legally-binding contracts or legislated agreements, they cannot afford to fall sick for fear of losing their jobs and being replaced.
In Kolkata, a domestic worker can work on full-time or part-time basis, may be employed by a single household or by multiple households, may be residing in the household of the employer (live-in worker) or may be living in her or his own residence (live-out). A vast majority of them are migrant workers. These domestic workers were engaged in cooking, cleaning, driving, looking after elders and children, care work in sickness and in health and other household services for remuneration.
