BEHAVIOR TOWARDS DOMESTIC SERVANTS

After reading ‘White Tiger’, a novel by young Arvin Adiga and published by Harper Collins, India , on master and driver relations, forced me to think on how we can improve the working conditions of millions of domestic servants employed by rich people. The novel rightly describes pathetic and miserable conditions under which servants have to work and no one thinks of these people. When some servant is not able to cope up with these poor conditions, then he moves to short term gains thru stealing , robbery and murder and lands to crime world.

Rich People should also change their lifestyle so as to have minimum support of servants and can work independent like we have in Europe and other advance countries.

So here are few ways on how we can improve the working of servants and low paid people employed by rich who can afford.

1.The owners employing workers must ensure proper social security like subscribe to ESI (Employees State Insurance), Provident Fund and must follow minimum wages act prevailing in the state. Educated and trained servants and drivers must be paid higher than uneducated and untrained servants.

2.Working hours should not be more than 8 hours with adequate compensation to work beyond prescribed hours.

3.Labor department must make rules for domestic servants for owners to follow employment rules and regulations which should be given wide publicity for knowledge of employers.

4.Human Activists must check from time to time and see how working conditions can be improved.

5.Drivers must get a good place to sit, rest and must be given healthy recreation facilities in every parking space whether it is municipal or it is five star hotels. Hygienic and low cost food stall should be there in every parking place. The parking space must also provide healthy magazines to pass good time.

6.NGO can also provide education improvement courses for drivers and domestic servants at designated places where they can take advantage to improve their education. Employers must also see that servants are able to build a better future and career.

7.The inhumane treatment with servants should be totally banned and owners can be provided with manual which NGOs can provide for compliance.

8.A regulatory may be setup by Labor Ministry which can ensure better treatment of servants by employers.

9.Labor Ministry with NGOs can also give adequate training in following areas to servants to upgrade their skills which will fetch them better salaries.

Some trades where proper training is required are :

• Cook
• Driver
• House Keeping
• Cleaning / Maintenance
• Sanitation
• Security Guard
• Nun
• Electrician
• Plumber