Let me ask you a question. How often do you give a day-off to your maid?
And if at all you do, is it a paid one?
TBH, most of us allow domestic workers to take a leave only when things get worse. The coronavirus pandemic is one of them.
And this time many of us from the privileged classes, clearly abandoned them. One day, they were just told not to come to work.
‘We need milk for our children’: India’s domestic workers – who cook & clean for the nation’s affluent families – struggle to feed their kids as employers stop paying them. They can’t work (or aren’t wanted due to covid fears). They have no rights to protect them. @divyaconnects pic.twitter.com/nReF5oYSE8
— Nicola Careem (@NicolaCareem) May 24, 2020
And now when things are returning to normal, we sure are expecting them to return to work, but not willing to give them a pay raise.
Like this Gurgaon woman who posted her experience with her house help on a Facebook group, when she asked her to return to work.
Today in Gurgaon. “Maids will always be maids” and other classisms pic.twitter.com/0Wezz0aoUg
— Veena Venugopal (@veenavenugopal) July 27, 2020
Now there are so many problematic aspects about this post.
1. She is a 12-hour maid. She should definitely be paid more. This is a fucking pandemic.
2. Just because her maid asked for more salary, the woman thought that she had the audacity to hurt her.
3. Although the maid was good with her household chores and kids, the woman says that maids are good only until you are good with them.
4. She says despite giving them all they want, they throw tantrums. No woman, you did not give her all she wanted.
The post clearly shows the mindset of the entitled elite class of India and Twitter is calling out the woman for her attitude.
Whenever someone writes, no offense to anyone, it’s going to be offensive :/
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) July 28, 2020
The most revealing line for me is “as if we’re working for them”. This master-servant dynamic between employer and employee is deep-rooted and extends beyond house help and beyond Gurgaon. In see it in the whitest-collared jobs in the most liberal cities ☹️
— Ritesh Banglani (@banglani) July 27, 2020
Gurgaon Moms is one of the most classiest, elitist and shitty groups when it comes to discussions on domestic helps.
— Divya Rai (@raidivya27) July 27, 2020
When I used to be on FB, it pissed me off so much that one day I had to do a rant-post calling these ladies out.
This group is a gem I tell you. So called empowered women, cribbing about maids being entitled. I read this today and was thinking wow, the guts 😡
— Takeiteasyurvashi (@UrzC) July 27, 2020
“we give them all what they want”
— Ishita Jain (@Jishita) July 28, 2020
How about giving them living wage without playing victim on social media? 🙄 https://t.co/NLq6ih4EVP
there is like so much fucking entitlement in this i’m speechless https://t.co/tpigYo01mN
— 𝙥🍋 (@pallavoid) July 28, 2020
#TW: Shitty class dynamics, employment under capitalism and abuse of women’s labor in guise of ‘family’. https://t.co/BQ44bmePpA
— Nikhil Walia (@nikhilwalia87) July 28, 2020
Oh cause they’re not humans, right? https://t.co/Kmj85Ecc5W
— sanj (@jangjaea08) July 28, 2020
Local Gurgaon Aunty: I treated an employee with basic dignity and was shocked and hurt when they didn’t casually risk their lives in a pandemic for me. https://t.co/zfz5KdfIfT
— mad woman D 🌊⚡ (@rainydaywavysea) July 28, 2020
“12 hrs maid..”😡😡
— ☭☭Comrade Anand☭☭ (@Anand31201668) July 28, 2020
And she says without no shame
” we give them all”..
Sick privileged minds..
And they are known for exploiting the domestic workers…. https://t.co/Bp7agsusyX
God forbid someone asks you to pay them a little more during a fucking pandemic.
— mad woman in exile (@emansipashhunnn) July 28, 2020
“Maids will be maids” no, they’re GODDAMNED HUMAN BEINGS, YOU’RE CLASSISM IS SHOWING https://t.co/UKaIADhKsH
I’m sorry 12 HOUR MAIDS????? Personally I would be completely with domestic workers of Gurgaon burning it all down https://t.co/AKmjuluuyR
— 🏳️🌈 SG Tushar Mehta hate acct (@publicpresley) July 28, 2020
Mhmm, make her work 12hr shifts in the middle of a pandemic and have the gall to say “maids will be maids”. Truly scum. https://t.co/OQXJsvKUW6
— everything is a scam. (@pappuchaaru) July 28, 2020
This is how entitlement and privileges work https://t.co/IpxeE0Xqli
— Shalu Nigam (@ShaluNigam) July 28, 2020
This is the sad reality of our country’s elite class. Reports also suggest that 85% of domestic workers weren’t paid during the lockdown period.
And now when we want them to return to work, let’s show empathy, if not more.