How did the PSMS come into being?
``Actually it was a spontaneous event that led to the formation of PSMS. In 1980, at Karve road, a maid was removed from her job without notice and without any reason. This caused a huge furore and about 200 bais came out of the houses they were working in to discuss the issue. It was like an impromptu strike.

``We just happened to know of it and asked the women what was their problem. So though they got together on their own, we merely helped them put forward their demands and showed them how to go about getting their demands. The strike lasted for five days.

We wrote letters to all the employers putting across their demands. At that time a bai would get just Rs 20 for sweeping, swabbing, washing clothes and utensils. So money was the main issue.

What are the issues now?
``The main issue, like it was 18 years ago, is money. But it has expanded to include other issues like paid leave, gratuity, and so on. In the beginning it was difficult to form a union because of the intrinsic nature of the job. Here the worker is one and the employers are several. So that becomes a problem, but now all that is behind us. We have about 10,000 bais who are our members.

``We have a charter of demands which cover several issues. Regarding pay we have proposed basic rates. The salary for washing the utensils of one person per month should be Rs 70. For sweeping, swabbing one room our rate is Rs 40 and cooking one meal for a family of four is Rs 600 per month.

``Apart from this, a maid should get a gratuity if she has worked for five years continuously. This should be half month's pay for every year. Then if there are guests at home, the bai should be paid extra. She is entitled to a bonus of one month's pay every year. If the employer removes her from the job, then she has to be paid one month's pay as notice.

How far have you succeeded in getting these demands for your members?
``There is a huge resistance when it comes to giving a maidservant some rights because most people have this attitude that she is to be taken for granted. But now we have managed to procure a minimum pay of Rs 250 for jhadu, bhandi and kapda.

``In 1997 we had a huge morcha in Mumbai where three organisations came together, from Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur. We urged the labour Minister to look into our problems. At that time Shabbir Shaikh formed a committee of which PSMS is a member, to probe the issue. Now a Government resolution has been passed which will make gratuity, 15 days privilege leave, weekly off, Rs 100 per annum as conveyance and Rs 100 per annum for medications compulsory. ``To carry out this strategy, all our bais and the employers have to register themselves at Kamgar Kalyan Mandal which will maintain a record of the terms of employment and other such things.

So far we have discussed the rights of the maids, but will your organisation also ensure that they provide professional services in exchange?
``What do you mean by professional services? If a maid is working in your house, then she is there only because you are satisfied with her work, or else she is removed. One must realise that the maidservant, like all of us, is a human being who is probably more prone to problems. Just imagine she works in 10 to 11 different homes so it is only natural that she will be tired.

``If she is given a better pay it is only natural that she will work in fewer homes and thus do a better job. In fact as an offshoot of the PSMS we now have the Shramik Mahila Morcha which looks into their personal affairs like family squabbles, domestic violence, and other such problems that occur in the slums where they live''.