SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Voice, Visibility and Validation Organizing home based women workers

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Statistics of the Informal Sector Informal workers consist

of 93% of the workforce

50% of the Gross Domestic Product

39% of the Exports of the country.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

About SEWA

Central Trade Union-1972

Organizes women in the informal economy for full employment and Self reliance

Total Membership base over 1.7 million women workers

Membership of 4,58,420 women home based workers in India

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Characteristics of the home based trades

35 million homebased workers in India, over 50 million in South Asia

two types of the home based workers- own account (self employed) and piece rated (work for contractors or employer

Predominantly women women workers are not aware of their identity as workers

and so get left out of statistics and policies. Homes of these workers are their work place High rate of child labour

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

The Value Chain Home based workers poorest and most vulnerable end of

a value chain. Often value chain is international with big brands at one

end and poor women workers in villages at the other

Long chain of contracts and contractors

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Segmentation of informal employment in home based trades:

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Issues of Home based Workers

Lack of Visibility and Recognition

No statistical information No Protection under law Lack of access to markets

and market information Lack of Employer-

employee relations: Low Wages Poor Working Conditions Health Hazards Lack of Social Security

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organizing…..

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Organizing Strategies Need Based Approach Integrated Approach Campaign Approach Decentralized Approach Door to Door Contact Formation of Co-

operatives Linking with Social

Security including housing

Awareness of identity as worker

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Collective Bargaining Campaigns for Home based workers

Short term Campaigns

Similar wages in all areas Wage increase Bonus Welfare board for social

security Stop undue deduction in

wages on the pretext of badly finished goods

Long term Campaigns

Voice, Visibility and Validation

Ratification of ILO Convention 177

National Policy and social security

Inclusion of home based trades in the Minimum wages Act

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Co-ops, Identity and Social Sec.

More than 25 Co-ops.

Marketing company

Women’s Bank Skill training

Identity cards for all workers

Insurance for all workers

Linking with Government health care

Upgrading housing Child care

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Some of the Collective Bargaining

15000 Bidi rollers got a wage increase of Rs 12/- i.e the wages increased for Rs 80/- to Rs 92/- i.e 17% increase in wages amounting to 2,80,80,000/- (USD 4,45,714/-)

15000 incense stick rollers got wage increase of Rs 5 per day amounting to Rs. 1,17,00,000/- (USD 1,85,714/-)

8000 Readymade garment Stitchers got wage increase of Rs 5 per day amounting to Rs 6,24,000/- (USD 9904/-)

1000 beedi workers go bonus worth Rs 1,00,000 (USD 1587/-)

2000 Ready made garment got bonus worth Rs 4,00,000 (USD 6349/-)

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Efforts of SEWA for ILO convention 177

Actively involved at International level for the ILO convention 177 in 1996.

Lobbied for ratification of convention in India and for the “National Policy for the Home based workers”.

Led Kathmandu Declaration for homebased workers in South Asia in 2000

Organized Convention of the Home Based workers 2004, addressed by Prime Minister

Active in Committee of Government for statistics on home based workers. Government of India not yet ratified convention 177

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Recommendations Take up campaign for ratification of Convention

177. Work with member Unions to pressurize Governments in each country.

Encourage members of ITUC to facilitate the formation of associations, unions, co-operatives, member based organization of home-based workers by training, awareness and exposures,

Work for Research, Studies and Documentation to high light the plight of the home based workers.

Work with Governments to collect data on homebased workers.

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Recommendations Advocate for Recognition of the home-based as sub-

contracted workers in an employment relationship

Recognize that the homes of home-based workers are their workplaces and advocate for schemes which upgrade their houses, grant them de facto tenure and basic infrastructure services

Advocate to include homebased workers in social security schemes and programs

SELF EMPLOYED WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION (SEWA)

Together we will win……

Thank you