Coronavirus: Domestic workers’s union says should get full pay even on leave

Commuter taking precaution by wearing available masks to protect themselves during train journey and crowded railway stations at CSMT on Tuesday. (Express photo by Prashant Nadkar)

The Pune District Home Workers Association, a union of domestic workers, wrote to the Divisional Commissioner and Collector of Pune on Monday requesting that domestic workers should be paid for all days they are required to remain absent due to the coronavirus pandemic. They requested that the government should provide families with 25 kg free foodgrain, regardless of whether or not they fall below the poverty line (BPL).

Kiran Moghe, president of the Pune District Home Workers Association, said in the letter that employers should grant their house workers leave in light of current circumstances around COVID-19. She said if their services are absolutely essential, employers and domestic workers can work out a mutually acceptable living arrangement for this period. In cases where more than one worker is working in the household, they could be asked to come by turn. “They should be allowed stay at home with full pay without deductions. We also want them to be provided with basic necessities such as masks, soap and sanitisers,” said Moghe.