A Multi-methodological Inquiry into the Employment Relations and Informality of the Domestic Work Sector in India

Presenter

Saniya Jain

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Cedric de Leon, Department of Sociology, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A15, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

The domestic work sector in India has long been ignored by legislation and economic considerations. So much so that the lack of data leaves us with a crude estimation of its workforce ranging widely from 2 million to 90 million. The absence of regulation in this sector deprives workers of job security, social protection, and legal recognition, resulting in poor working conditions and oppressive employer relations. While the Domestic Workers Movement in India has taken shape since the 1970s, leading to the formation of 69 registered DW organizations, there remains a notable lack of a comprehensive national law safeguarding worker rights and a reluctance to dignify the sector. As a preliminary exploratory analysis, I consider data from the latest (2023) PLFS and NSSO surveys to situate the socio-economic status of domestic labor in the broader labor market, illuminating their plight of long working hours, subpar wages, and vulnerability to exploitation. Further, drawing on the ILO’s recognition of employment relationships as crucial for accessing rights and benefits, I utilize a multimethodological framework centered around data analysis and interviews with employers among other stakeholders such as union representatives, scholars, and domestic workers, to illuminate the perspectives and practices that contribute to the commodification or de-commodification of domestic labor. Building on the advocative efforts of DW organizations articulating the employer relationship as one of ‘worker-employee’ rather than ‘buyer-seller’, I deconstruct the notions fostering ambiguity in defining the state’s and employer’s responsibilities towards the workers and explore suggestive measures for informing policy interventions to increase worker protection. 

Keywords

Development in India, Worker Protection, Domestic Work Sector , Informal Labor Markets, Labor Policy

Research Area

Globalization and Development

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