Domestic Wage Structure & Poverty in India

In 1948, a committee on fair wage was set up in India. It provided guidelines to the wage structure. The norms for fixation of minimum wage include: 3 consumption units for one earner, minimum food requirement of 2700 calories per average Indian adult, clothing requirement of 72 yards per annum per family, rent corresponding to the area provided, fuel, lighting, and other miscellaneous items of expenditure that constitute 20% of the minimum wage. In 1991, children education, medical requirement, minimum recreation including festivals, provision for old age, marriage, and so on, were also added into consideration and it was regulated that these should constitute 25% of the total minimum wage. More so, the minimum rates are revised at appropriate intervals of not exceeding 5 years. So, our leaders had been thinking about it almost from the time India became independent. Good news, India does have a minimum wage structure.

Now if I am in the USA, and I ask almost anyone what the minimum wage for a worker is, they will tell me that it is about $5.15 per hour (and one hour of work can give you one decent meal). I would ask all of us to take a guess as to how much it is in India.

How many of us can answer this question?

The first fact of the matter is that we are not aware of it, which obviously highlights deficiency in its implementation. I searched for it, and found that the minimum wage ranges from Rs.25 per day in Nagaland to Rs. 134 per day in Kerala [1]. Here, they are most probably talking about railway loaders, miners etc, and not domestic workers. I hope I do not have to emphasize that the amount itself is meager.

How much do we pay to a domestic worker who cleans our household or does our laundry? The 1948 fair wage act does not mention anything for a household worker, but they do mention Rs. 54.28 per day for most of the workers that range from miners to railway loaders [2]. If I remember correctly about the state of affairs in India, the wage that a middle class family pays a domestic worker—who does household cleaning—on an average, would not be more than Rs. 250 per month. The domestic worker on an average (conservatively) spends an hour in sweeping and mopping. Thus, it is at least 30 hours of work per month. Say, considering the job difficulty level is half of what a railway loader does, the domestic worker should get approximately (Rs. 25 per hour × 30) that is, Rs. 750 per month. Even if we could ensure that every domestic worker in India starts getting at least more than Rs.15 per hour (which is still low!) in 2007, I would consider it a beginning.

Now who are the people who generally do our domestic work in India? If you are familiar with India, you would agree that they generally belong to the poorest faction of society. Many a times they are young school dropouts, that is if they are lucky to have ever gone to school, and often they are children in their teens.  I realize that in the present set up, whatever the minimum wage be, it does not matter. Why? Because how is the government going to implement such a policy? I think the foremost thing that is needed here, is for us to realize that in a case such as this, the decision lies in our very own hands. We can talk to our families and provide a fair share to our domestic workers. I can understand that our families will find it difficult to give a three-fold increase in salary. In order to motivate our families, we need to educate them as to why it is important that a fair share be given.

Addressing such issues are important for India to be a developed society. Most of the domestic workers encounter a multi-faceted poverty. Historically, the domestic workers belong to the poorest families. They are themselves illiterate and do not qualify for better jobs. These people tend to take domestic cleaning, laundry, and similar jobs. With these measly wages they can work everyday, 8 hours a day and still be poor. Hence, these parents are unable to earn enough to provide their family with food. If they work 8 hours a day, at Rs. 250 per month, and if they work for 8 households, they earn Rs.2000. This is not enough, so they engage their family members and children in the similar jobs. Then, more children, means more hands to earn money and their families become larger. The children never get the education required to come out of the poverty and they remain poor forever.

We can surely make a difference here. The minimum wage is the minimum legal wage that a person deserves from an employer. In instances where we decide this amount, as in the case of our household workers, we should think about the living wage for them as well. Living wage is that which will ensure that the person and the family he/she supports can not just eat food but also provide for their children’s education, healthcare and comfortable living. I would even contest that a person should get a wage depending upon their individual capability and background. That is, not just family support, but also logistical support as to how they may make optimal use of their potential. Thus, ideally, it would even vary from person to person.

Let us make this difference by sharing income in a fair manner. Let us educate our society. All of us can contribute here in a big way towards a better future for India.

Today, I am going to talk to my parents to find out more about the background, family, education and potential of the person who does our domestic work, and upgrade him or her to a fair pay. I hope the same from you. Small beginnings can have great impacts. Let the change begin.

Reference:

[1] http://www.indiatogether.com/2006/feb/hrt-minimum.htm

[2] http://labour.nic.in/wagecell/welcome.html

Silent Change, February 20, 2007

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