Bengaluru: A rate card to determine salary of domestic helps in India?
If that sounds a bit crazy, think again.
If everything goes per plan, Karnataka households will soon have to pay fixed and pre-determined salaries to maids and cooks.
Yes, the Karnataka government is planning to introduce the Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill to address the issue. The Bill seeks to provide social security coverage, minimum wage protection and welfare benefits for domestic workers across urban areas in the state.
A five per cent welfare fee will also be included, if the Bill is passed by the state Assembly.
Like in other Indian states, there is no single fixed ‘rate card’ for domestic helps in Karnataka. Wages vary widely in cities and rural areas, with many working under unfair conditions and receiving very low salaries.
The state government is trying to set a level playing field, Karnataka Labour minister Santosh Lad told News18.
Under the proposal, number of hours worked and specific chores undertaken will be matched with a minimum wage programme. Every task will be assigned a price, which will determine the worker’s salary, a senior government source told News18.
The Bill is likely to be presented to the cabinet within a fortnight.
“There is a random determination of how much each task and number of hours worked is valued. The domestic worker must get what they deserve. There are workers who also face a lot of abuse. There are also instances where we have seen that there needs to be checks on domestic helps as well. There are a rising number of senior citizens in the state, who also have help, but we have seen unforeseen situations,” the minister explained.
“The effort is to have the workforce registered. The government should know how many are working, what they need — medical or other assistance. It can also serve as a data bank to provide these services with proper background verification,” added Lad.
The welfare fee levied will be paid into the fund quarterly or every six months, with employers submitting a wage calculation sheet in the prescribed format and uploading it to the digital portal annually, according to the draft Bill.
The Karnataka government earlier rolled out the Gig Workers Social Security and Welfare Bill, 2024, and Cine and Cultural Activists Welfare Bill, 2024, which established dedicated funds for worker benefits.
