Domestic workers share plight: The employers insisted they get vaccinated, but rarely extended a helping hand to find them slots

Rina Halder, a domestic worker, speaks at the online session on Saturday.: The Telegraph

Debraj Mitra   |   TT  |  Calcutta   |   27.06.21 : Prod for vaccines — yes. Help in getting a jab — no.

Prod to cut down on number of workplaces — yes.

Fitting raise in pay — no.

A group of domestic workers  on Saturday narra-ted what tens of thousands from their fraternity were going through in the wake of the pandemic.

Almost everybody shared a similar plight — employers insisted they get vaccinated, but rarely extended a helping hand to find them slots. “They keep asking me, ‘have you taken your vaccine?’ but when I ask them to book a slot for me, they don’t have time,” said a woman who lives in a colony in Panchasayar, New Garia. She works at a few apartments off EM Bypass.

Rina Halder, who lives near Ballygunge station, had multiple employers prodding her to work at “only their places”. “When I asked for a hike to offset the loss of income, nobody came forward,” she said.

At the slightest hint of any ailment, another maid was prodded by her employers to visit a doctor. When she sought help in finding one, nobody came forward.

“I don’t have any extra money to consult a doctor. My income has halved because of the pandemic. My husband’s income has also suffered a blow,” said Seema Naskar, a domestic help who was part of the virtual session.

The session was organised by NGO Parichiti. The pandemic and the curbs to combat its spread have crippled the livelihood of thousands of domestic workers.

Many domestic workers living in South 24-Parganas used to depend on the suburban train services to come to Calcutta for work. The suspension of train services has rendered them jobless. “Some of them have rented rooms in Calcutta,” said Paramita Chowdhuri, the moderator of the session.

Even before the suspension, many employers were wary of allowing maids who used public transport.

The session had some employers as well.

“The domestic helps are dependent on employers for livelihood. The employers are also dependent on domestic workers to manage their homes... A home for one is a workplace for another,” said Chowdhuri.

Ratna Dasgupta, a schoolteacher, stressed the importance of a formalised contract between employers and domestic helps. “I depended a lot on my maid, who used to come from Canning. She was forced to stop coming in March 2020 and has not rejoined. But I paid her full salary till October 2020, when she said that she would not be able to return,” she said.

Kakuli Deb of Parichiti said vaccination of domestic workers should be prioritised by the authorities. “We have written to the civic body, requesting their help. Domestic workers should also get priority like traders and auto drivers,” she said.