CONDITIONS OF WORK AND RIGHTS OF THE FEMALE DOMESTIC WORKERS OF KOLKATA

Domestic workers, most of whom arefemale are hired to work in private households. But their work remains unrecognised as a legitimate form of activity. This paper through micro level study shows that young married women coming from distant places with higher number of children, with low and uncertain income ofother family members, prefer part-time domestic work to supplement their family income. Through Engel's ratio, it is identified that the standard of living is slightly better than that of part-time domestic workers. But most of the domestic workers of West Bengal are deprived of over time pay, public holidays and timely payment of salaries.