SHILLONG: The North Eastern Regional Domestic Workers’ Movement (NERDWM) has urged Labour Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh to fix minimum wages and set up a welfare board for domestic helps in the State.
In a memorandum to the minister on Friday, NERDWM said there is lack of social security for and labour rights of thousands of women domestic workers.
Stating that the Assam government and other northeastern states have fixed minimum wages, the association, which took out a rally on Friday on the occasion of International Domestic Workers’ Day, said the Meghalaya Government should also enforce similar guidelines.
The State Government was urged to ensure appropriate legislation which will regulate employment, conditions of work and provide social protection, provision of social security through welfare boards, training and skill formations.
The rally was taken out from Malki ground to Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture.
The theme of Friday’s programme was ‘Turn rights into realities: Regulate laws and policies to protect domestic workers.’
Sr Teresa Salemthangi, regional coordinator of NERDWM, said there are more than 6,000 domestic workers registered in Shillong.