Domestic workers and the challenges of collectivization: labor NGOs, neighborhoods, apartment complexes

Joseph, Rajesh and Natrajan, Balmurli and Lobo, Roshni (2019) Domestic workers and the challenges of collectivization: labor NGOs, neighborhoods, apartment complexes. Decision, 46 (2). pp. 99-109. ISSN 2197-1722

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Abstract

This paper is a critical commentary on the organizational challenges for collectivization of domestic workers (DWs) who constitute a core part of India’s informal economy. Building upon field research among DWs working in a mega-city and in multiple homes, we explore three challenges—the transformation of labor NGOs to ‘unions,’ the ‘place’ oftheunionandthe‘place’oftheworkerinorganizing DWs. While the first challenge deals with the form of the collective that best enables the transformation of subjectivity and consciousness of DWs from ‘servant’ to ‘worker,’ the latter two emerge from the structure of work of DWs—the fact that they are dispersed among multiple employers, and the possibilities offered by large apartment complexes for DW unions to work in concert with the state to guarantee worker rights.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Joseph, Rajesh and Natrajan, Balmurli and Lobo, Roshni
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Domestic workers, Labor NGOs, Informal sector workers union
Subjects:	Social sciences > Economics
Divisions:	Azim Premji University > School of Development
Full Text Status:	Public
Related URLs:	Google Scholar
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/2048
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s40622-019-00211-y

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