DA for the Maid

The prospect of a minimum wage for Tamil Nadu’s 1.8 million domestic workers has inched closer to reality.

The prospect of a minimum wage for Tamil Nadu’s 1.8 million domestic workers has inched closer to reality. Last week, a state government-appointed panel in its draft proposal recommended Rs 30 per hour and Dearness Allowance (DA) for domestic workers. “The Rs 30 per hour wage... may be not sufficient in a city like Chennai, where the cost of living is very high. But at least a start has been made,” says Amala Valarmathi of the Tamil Nadu Domestic Worker’s Movement.