Workers in the domestic sector who are mired in poverty.
There is no minimum wage regulation in place for unskilled workers, including caretakers who are marginalized.
LAHORE: Whereas rising inflation has already rendered impoverished families unable to support themselves, low earnings and hefty travel expenses have made the situation even worse for domestic workers, who are now caught in a never-ending cycle of poverty.
According to a research by the International Labor Organization (ILO), more than half of Pakistan’s informal labor force—approximately 8.5 million domestic workers—are women.
Even though there is a sizable workforce performing tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for children, and taking care of the elderly, domestic workers are not eligible to benefits like the minimum wage, which is only preserved for other workers under the country’s current labor laws.
The amount that many women earn for their blood and sweat in the absence of a set minimum wage is insufficient to cover monthly rent, transportation expenses, and other household expenses.
“I prepare meals, clean, and iron clothes for two households, but neither of them pays me more than Rs. 24,000, of which Rs. 8,000 is used for rent and Rs. 3,000 for travel.
Samina, a single parent from Kahna who works as a domestic worker in the Central Park Housing Society, protested, “Leaving me and my four children to survive on Rs 13,000 for the entire month.”
Arooma Shahzad, secretary general of the Pakistan Domestic Labor Union, discussed the effects of the lack of a minimum wage on female domestic workers, whose future generations also become entangled in the cycle of poverty, in an interview with The Express Tribune.
“Even though maids employed in places like DHA and Bahria Town are paid a higher wage, the majority of them only receive a pittance, which means that most of them cannot afford to send their kids to school, making it highly likely that their offspring will also work as domestic servants.” Many domestic employees have begun arguing about their pay with their employers in an effort to break free from this impoverishment cycle that passes down through generations.
One such instance involves Ghazal Zaib, whose maid began asking Rs 3,000 more per month in pay despite working for years on a set income.
Arooma Shehzad indicated that discussions were in progress for domestic employees to receive free medical care in order to lessen part of their financial load. She acknowledged the predicament of the domestic workers.
The Punjab Domestic Labor Act, approved in 2019, ensures that the minimum wage is fixed at Rs 25,000 per month and that workers are guaranteed paid annual leave and set working hours. When asked about the plight of domestic workers, the spokesman for the Punjab Labor Department stated: “The Punjab Domestic Labor Act approved in 2019 prioritizes the welfare of our domestic workers and ensures that the minimum wage is fixed at Rs 25,000 per month.
The Punjab Domestic Labor Act has been waiting to be put into effect for the past four years, thus the Domestic Labor Union was skeptical of the statement.
