India: Women dairy workers win improved maternity rights

Women dairy workers in cooperative dairies in the southern state of Kartnataka, India, have won improved maternity protection, including increased paid maternity leave from 135 to 180 days.

BAMUL Employees Union, a member of the IUF-affiliated Dairy Employees Federation of India (DEFOI), responded to changes in public sector regulations on maternity protection by demanding that the management of cooperative dairies introduce the same rights and benefits for dairy workers. These demands were finally met with substantial improvements – including 180 days paid maternity leave.

While celebrating this win the Women’s Action Committee of DEFOI acknowledged that this remains limited to permanent workers and reaffirmed its commitment to fight for equal rights for women contract workers.

Dairy workers Kalpashree and Sarojamma fighting for women workers’ rights