The Karnataka Domestic Workers Union has organised a protest against the employment of minors as Domestic Workers. 

Time: Thursday August 21st, 3 30pm and 4 30pm

Venue: Karmikara Bhavana, Bannerghatta Road

The Karnataka Domestic Workers Union strongly condemns the recent attack on a child domestic  worker by her employers in Bangalore. We stand in solidarity with the girl who struggled for her life  for ten days at Vani Vilas hospital and demand that the employers are brought to justice. We stand for the right to life, dignity and education of every child and we demand that the girl is rehabilitated and repatriated to her hometown and all efforts are made to remedy the damage done to her life.  

We insist that adequate compensation is made to her as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court This incident has brought to light the wide prevalence of children employed as domestic workers. These children are often trafficked from other states and are kept in solitary confinement under inhuman conditions. They are also subjected to physical and sexual violence. These children cannot speak the local language and therefore are further isolated. The children are deprived of their childhood and their basic human rights are violated. 

We warn the placement agencies and employers against robbing children off their childhood by employing them in domestic work. 

We demand the Karnataka state Labour Department to take every steps to abolish the employment of children in domestic work and to make Karnataka a child labour free state. We strongly urge the Labour Department to implement the following immediately:

• Ensure timely prosecution of persons engaging children in labour 
• Immediately rehabilitate and repatriate children identified/rescued from child labour
• Regulate and monitor placement agencies immediately
• Conduct regular inspection and raids to make Karnataka a child labour free state
• Make the public aware that it is a crime to employ child domesticworkers
• Direct residential complexes and public authorities to prominently display hoarding against Child Labour
• Direct Building Associations to amend their by-laws to ban child labour and prominently display the same in apartment complexes

We call upon all domestic workers to stay vigilant and report child labour and condemn employment of child domestic workers. We call upon you to work in solidarity for the complete abolition of the employment of children in domestic work.  

The content is provided by Vinay Sreenivasa on behalf of Karnataka Domestic Workers Union and has been published as is, under the Message Forward section, a space meant for non-profit messages by individuals and organisations.