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a)
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
 On
June 21st, 1996, the International Labour organization
(ILO) adopted a convention, supplemented by a Recommendation
on HOME WORK. This was a great victory for homeworkers
because it marked international recognition that they
are an important part of the workforce and, like any
other workers, are entitled to rights which enable them
to make a decent living from their employment.
The ILO has it's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland
and is the part of the United Nations that deals with
employment issues. Every year, it holds a conference
attended by delegations from employers' organizations,
trade unions and govt. representatives from over 170
countries of the world.
When
the ILO adopts a convention, this becomes an internationally
recognized standard, laying down minimum terms and conditions
which governments who ratify it are bound to follow.
"Ratifying" a Convention is like signing an
international treaty. The Recommendation, as the name
implies, gives detailed guidelines for the implementation
of the shorter convention.
The
CONVENTION
ON HOMEWORK lays down the principle of equal treatment
for homeworkers. At its heart is the clause that governments
should adopt a National Policy on Homework ensuring
they have appropriate laws and regulations, policies
and programs to bring about this equal treatment.
This
means that homeworkers should be entitled to a decent
wage; social security protection for when they are sick,
old or cannot work; maternity benefits; old age pensions
and that their health and safety should not be endangered
by their work. Homeworkers are entitled to the right
to organize. Governments should ensure that homeworkers
are counted in official surveys.
It
will not be easy to ensure that millions of women homeworkers
around the world receive these rights in practice. The
adoption of the convention is only a first, important
step. Now we have to campaign for ratification of the
Convention by our government, or at least adoption of
a National Policy, minimum wages and social security
protection. We have to see that homeworkers are represented
in different bodies in each country and that programs
are introduced to improve their living and working conditions.
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b)
Home Net South Asia
 Homebased
work is not a new phenomenon in South Asia. Traditional
homebased work has been carried out in these countries
since generations. This work which was mostly carried
out by women included embroidery work, shawl making,
crafts making etc. Women in different parts of the region
are still doing this, both in rural and urban areas.
The homebased industry, even though invisible in the
official statistics, provides livelihood to a large
number of people.
There
are a number of institutions that have been working
to organize these homebased workers so that they can
themselves improve their working conditions as well
as access their rights as workers. These institutions
work under some critical constraints that are specific
to this sector. These are
>> Lack of established policy - Till today, there
is no clear policy directive which includes homebased
workers in any of the South Asian countries. While India
has been able to draft a policy with regard to Homebased
workers, this is far from being implemented. The other
South Asian countries are yet to take a stand.
>> No fixed working hours since work at home cannot
be regulated.
>> Very low piece-rate wages compared to the same
work carried out in the formal workplace.
>> Exploitation by contractors & middlemen.
>> Unhealthy working conditions
>> No social security or other benefits
>> Legally invisible workforce, hence no recognition
of their work or their economic worth.
Following
the adoption of the ILO Convention, a workshop was organized
in Ahmedabad, India by SEWA, in December 1997, the main
theme of which was grassroots organizing of homebased
workers. Participants from South Asian countries viz.
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal attended the workshop.
The primary basis for discussions was the fact that
homebased workers of the South Asian region face very
similar problems and the pattern of the homebased work
is also similar. Hence the need for an integrated approach
to solve their problems. A strong need to have a regional
network that could strengthen their movement was felt.
Since the conditions are similar within the countries
of the South Asian region, a common strategy could be
developed in relation to the issues such as minimum
wages, social security, health protection, marketing
and statistical surveys of homebased workers.
For
developing and strengthening the South Asia network,
it was necessary to have a common strategy at the regional
level for various homeworker issues with each member
country working out individual mechanisms for practical
organizing at the grassroots. The South Asian network
would meet on an annual basis to ensure regular exchange
of information and 6 member countries (viz. India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan) would be part
of this network.
Additional
advantages of having a regional network are as follows;
1) The countries of this region have extremely porous
borders and illegal immigration of workers is rampant.
And in very many cases, a number of unorganized homebased
workers are also non-nationals, particularly in areas
close to the border towns. Multi-country intervention
therefore again becomes more effective since the issue
is also one that has cross-country implications.
2) Very soon in the future, trade and labor practices
could well be governed by SAARC agreements. Given the
fact that certain agreements do already exist at the
SAARC level, this can be advantageous to those who would
like to use these agreements to leverage policy implementation.
3) Similarly, multinational agreements such as GATT
& WTO and multinational agencies such as ILO, World
Bank, UNDP etc. have global and regional policies that
influence national policies in South Asia. A regional
forum can work towards advocacy, networking and lobbying
and ensuring accountability for all the above.
4) The policy environment within the region is fairly
similar, given the history of the sub-continent. Hence
sharing and cross-fertilization of ideas and experiences
across these countries will help to strengthen the individual
organizations in the long run.
5)
With growing liberalization of economic policies of
governments of the region, a large number of multinational
corporations are entering the market in this region,
both for purposes of selling their goods and more critically,
for employing cheap labor. In order to influence the
policies of these concerns, advocacy and other efforts
have to be addressed at different levels and in all
countries of the region.
Proposed
activities of the member networks will include advocacy
and program thrusts in the following areas
>>
Adoption of NATIONAL POLICY for homebased workers
>> SOCIAL SECURITY for homebased workers
>> IDENTIFICATION of homebased workers through
national statistical systems
>> ORGANIZING homebased workers & strengthening
the ongoing initiatives in this regard
>> FACILITATING DIRECT ENTRY into local and global
markets
(
SOURCE - "Towards Building HomeNet South Asia",
a report )
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