"What if it's a repeat of Mahagun Moderne?" is what residents of Tulip Residency were thinking when their maids gathered at the society gates protesting for a domestic helps hike.
After the recent incident involving a mob of domestic helps pelting stones at Noida’s Mahagun Moderne, residents of Tulip residency in Sector 71, Gurgaon, were alarmed to the society's maids blocking the way to the society gate today.
Residents said the domestic helps of Ivory and Orange (blocks inside Tulip Residency) refused to turn up for work in the morning. Soon after, they congregated at the society gates, protesting for an increase in wages. Luckily, the matter was brought under control even before a PCR van turned up at the spot.
A notice circulated by the society's RWA has a detailed rate chart for maids
Ajay Sharma, a resident of Ivory, managed to pacify two of the maids ad persuaded them to come back to work. “I was patient with them and somehow managed to placate them," said Sharma. "What happened today, can very well happen again."
Recalling the horrific incident in Noida, Sharma said, “The maids sat at the gates and were aggressive in their approach. They demanded immediate increase in wages and with the Noida incident still fresh in our minds, we were quite apprehensive.”
In a month, maids charge Rs 6,000 for cooking thrice a day for a family of five, Rs 1,000 for cleaning once a day and Rs 200 for washing clothes in a washing machine per individual. A month's work from one household in the society yields a whopping Rs 25,000.
“We have helped them with their livelihood, their verification process and many other needs," said Vikas Ranjan, president of the RWA. "It is disappointing that they reacted this way. We have a meeting regarding this next Sunday.”
