Brussels region sisters with Chennai, India and supports domestic workers there

Today, overlooking a gorgeous view of Brussels, our delegation composed out of Sr Vallar from Chennai and Sr Jeanne Devos from NDWM signed the agreement between WSM and NDWM to start a project supported by the Brussels Region. Hosted by State Secretary of Brussels Capital Region Bianca Debaets, this project of two years will be supporting the work done by the National Domestic Workers Movement in Chennai and Tamil Nadu to improve rights and skills of domestic workers. During the visit, Sr Vallar explained that even though the Tamil Nadu government, after decades of lobbying, finally adopted a minimum wage for domestic workers, it was at the rate of 37 INR per hour or 43 eurocent, which was the rate demanded by NDWM... in 2010, so hopelessly insufficient for domestic workers to live on! 

From right to left: Francina Varghese, Jeroen Roskams  and Bruno Deceukelier (WSM), with Sister Vallar and Sr Jeanne Devos (NDWM), with from the Brussels Region Ms Bianca Debaets and Emmanuel Boodts and Pieter-Jan Mattheus, Regional Secretary from Beweging

As comparison, neighboring state Kerala placed the minimum wage at 137INR, or 1,6€. While it is a good thing there is finally a minimum adopted and a mechanism to punish employers who don't respect this, this low rate might even turn out to be counterproductive, as employers paying more might feel they can now offer less. In short, still a lot of work to do, but NDWM feels up to the task, now also with this first ever project with the Brussels Region!