Care Work in India
Wages and Rights for Domestic Workers
How domestic workers are paid, why India has no national law for them, how some states set minimum wages, and the push for social security.
Domestic workers have weak legal protection in India.
No national law
- India has no comprehensive national law for domestic workers.
- India has not ratified the ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (C189, 2011).
State action
- Some states, like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, included domestic work in minimum wage schedules.
- Maharashtra set up a welfare board for domestic workers in 2008.
Wages
- Pay is typically set per task or per house.
- Wages vary widely by city and locality.
- Workers often lack paid leave, weekly offs or notice before dismissal.
Social security
- The Code on Social Security, 2020 includes unorganised workers, and domestic workers can register on the e-Shram portal (2021).
- Actual benefits depend on schemes.
Bargaining power
- Domestic workers bargain individually, which weakens them.
- Unions and associations have organised some workers to demand better pay.
During COVID-19
Many domestic workers lost jobs overnight in 2020 as households stopped hiring them, showing their vulnerability.
The unpaid lockdown
During the 2020 lockdown, a cook was told not to come to work. Some employers paid her anyway; others stopped, leaving her without income.
Thinking labour laws cover domestic workers like factory workers
India lacks a comprehensive national law for domestic workers.
Key takeaways
- India has no national domestic workers law and hasn't ratified ILO C189.
- Some states set minimum wages and welfare boards.
- Workers often lack leave and notice.
- e-Shram registration offers access to some schemes.
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