Homeworkers High Hopes and Hard Realities

Hard Realities Mukul A New March Ahead A SMALL group of trade union activists, social workers, labour researchers, NGOs and homeworkers were assembled in Delhi in the second week of April 1997, They were discussing the possibilities of a comprehensive legislation for homeworkers in India, in the light of one of the recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention, as well as a recommendation concerning homework. They were raising many issues, like the limitations of the existing laws and their incompatibility with the international convention, the immediacy of the question of ratification of the convention by the Indian government the necessity of a well pronounced government policy towards homeworkers, detailed proposals and provisions for a legislation, etc. They were making plans for approaching the government to make it move in a positive direction.