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Sri Lanka: Domestic Workers Union (DWU)

Sri Lanka: Domestic Workers Union (DWU)

by Fish Ip published Jan 23, 2015 03:18 PM
Domestic Workers Union (DWU) organizes domestic workers in Sri Lanka.
Street Address No.496/12, Piachaud gardens road, Peradeniya, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Phone Number +94 81 22 35 670
Fax Number
Email [email protected]
Website
Type Trade Union
Number of Male Members 18
Number of Female Members 1,248
Members Pay Fees
Maintains Register of Fees Paid Maintains register of fees paid
Year Established 2012

Objectives

Vision: To create an equal and free society where there is no violence and discrimination.

Aim: Strengthen the domestic workers union through make domestic workers aware about their rights and discriminations and stimulate to act against the domestic worker’s rights violations and facilitate their collective leadership.

Briefly it has the following work:

  1. Trade union education - Gender, class, Bargaining skill, communication skill and labour rights
  2. Lobby for the 3rd draft of domestic worker’s legal act which RFWM submitted to The Legal Advisory committee.
  3. Day to day domestic worker’s problem handling. (Attending labour department, complain to the police ect……)
  4. Management training for the committee to run the DWU office.


 

History

Red Flag Women’s Movement succeeded to organize nearly 1266 domestic workers who work inside the country (nationally) and Our union domestic workers draft act which we submitted as our third draft titled, “Regulation of employment of Domestic Employees” to NLAC discussion. We also managed to register a domestic workers union.had several discussions with Labour department officers specially General of Labour Commissioner regarding the domestic workers legal protection. In the meantime, we have prepared a

The Domestic Workers Union got its registration on 5th March 2012. This is a historic landmark for workers in Sri Lanka as it is the first domestic workers union to receive official recognition . Another landmark is that this union is truly democratic in its leadership and decision making process.

The union is led by domestic workers themselves who are members in a collective leadership structure with joint presidents and joint secretaries. It is therefore timely to inform the country that such a development has taken place and that more domestic workers can be organized and be able to defend their rights as workers.

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