Open Letter: Asian Social Movements Urge European Countries To Ratify Domestic Worker ILO Convention C-189
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Who we Are?
From 14 to 16 September 2013 - facilitated by Word Solidarity Belgium - Trade Unions and other social movements from Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Neval gathered in Hong Kong to share and to experience the realities of domestic worker coming from their countries and working abroad in Hong Kong. Last five years these organisations had regular consultations and organized campaigns to emphasize and improve the working conditions of domestic worker. Their contributions in the process towards the adoption of the ILO Convention 189 on decent work for domestic workers cannot be underestimated. The objective of the Hong Kong gathering was to build better bridges between from the sending and the receiving countries.
What we did in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong experience has been an inspiring one towards future initiatives on increased networking and improved collaboration between organisations from the sending and receiving countries. It underlined very clear that the realities, challenges and needs of the domestic worker are the same all over the word. (According to ILO, 21 million people, i.e. 41% of all domestic workers are living in Asia fasifik region). Moreover, the domestic worker in Europe and Northern America face the same problems: their voice is not heard and their suffering not seen. The biggest handicap to have their demands supported is the fact that domestic works is mostly individual and invisible work, especially in Hong Kong where most domestic workers are in living - 24 hours a day - in the employers house. Witnesses from domestic worker in a shelter house expressed how their human rights, women rights and workers right are violated : e.g. sexual harassment, working days of more than 18 hours, no salary payment not allowed to be organized.
Migrant Domestic Workers Most Vulnerable
But more important, according to the delegation, is to recognize that migrant domestic workers are the most vulnerable group amongst the domestic workers. Living in another country, dis-linked with their families and relatives for several years, facing cultural and language barriers, often dependent on sending agencies: this bring them in a very weak and vulnerable position. Their workplace is a private house, violation and exploitation are kept hidden and unseen. From time to time some pathetic cases are reported: it is called Modern Slavery.
Why Hong Kong Meeting Make Statement Towards EU Countries?
From this migrant perspective, knowing that their compatriots are also meeting is deeply disappointed that sos far only Italy and recently Germany ratified The ILO Convention C-189. Unseen working in private houses and diplomatic post, domestic workers often live and work in very bad conditions. It is more surprising since The European Parliament adopted a resolution already on 12 May 2011 - about one mount before The ILO implement consider that the adoption, ratification and implementation of ILO C-189 can have a positive impact to reduce poverty. Domestic work must be recognized as work. Domestic workers must be recognized as workers.
We Request EU Member States 4 Point: 2 on C-189 and 2 on UN HLD
The Hong Kong meeting, representing more than 2 million domestic workers in Asia,
- Urge the European countries to ratify and implement the ILO C-189 at latest by International Domestic Workers Days of 16 June 2014.
- Demand that the mechanisms to and regulation on the implementation with the domestic workers themselves and their representative organisations.
- Protest the European Commission recommendations to the United Nations High Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (3-4 October) ignores the ILO Conventions on Migrant Work (C-97 and C-143), because that way migrant domestic workers are kept out of concern.
- Invite The European Member States, participating in The UN HLD meeting next October, to have integrated migrants domestic workers in their statements and policies in line with ILO C-97 and C-143.
More information and reactions to:
- CLC Cambodia: cic.cambodia@online.com.kh
- WSM in Brusssels: ann.dejonghe@wsm.be
Justice for Kartika....Not just a case of Kartika ... but there are many similar cases experienced by hundreds and even thousands of Migrant Workers
ReplyDeleteJUSTICE FOR ALL MIGRANT.....
Wahhh kudu ntranslate nih.... Hemmm...
ReplyDelete