ABSTRACT

In spite of the complex ways in which economic and social insecurity for women working in the Indian informal economy are generated and sustained, workers expressed quite straightforward motivations for joining SEWA. The dominant reason given for joining the union was the desire for a higher and more secure income. Many workers felt that union membership might also provide them with the institutional recognition that could be used to secure formal (public) status as a worker. Union services that contributed to work security and higher productivity also rated highly as reasons for joining the union, as did the desire for worker solidarity.