On International Domestic Workers’ Day, a group of nearly 150 domestic workers in the city, under the banner of Domestic Workers’ Rights Union Karnataka, submitted a memorandum to the Additional Labour Commissioner demanding a framework for a robust grievance redressal mechanism for the workers and consultation with the workers on the draft of the Karnataka Domestic Workers Social Security Bill 2025.

Noting that a weaker version of the Draft Bill was discussed in the Cabinet recently, the union demanded that a consultation on the Bill in Kannada be held with workers before approval. “After objections from the public, mainly employers, a very weak Bill was placed before the Cabinet recently. Our continued discussions with the Labour Secretary came to a halt with the change of the Cabinet, with the new leadership of Mr. D.K. Shivakumar… After the political changes settle down, we request a full consultation on the Draft Bill in Kannada,” the memorandum read.

As discussions on the Bill are ongoing, the workers proposed setting up a grievance redressal mechanism to ensure domestic workers’ constitutional rights to safety, health and social protection. They pointed out that a framework for this already exists in the Janaspandana portal.

The memorandum further demanded the establishment of a Domestic Workers Taskforce with a dedicated helpline to address instances of inhumane treatment by employers, stringent action against those involved in trafficking and exploitation of domestic workers, smart card facilities and accident insurance coverage for senior domestic workers, ratification of the ILO Convention 189, and implementation of the Karnataka High Court’s 2015 guidelines on trafficking, among others.