Support a day off for migrant domestic workers in Singapore

UFDWR wants to support the Singaporean day off campaign and website jointly initiated by HOME, UNIFEM and Transient Workers Count Two (TWC2) to see their website go to: www.dayoff.sg

New MOU on migrant domestic workers between Indonesia and Malaysia?

There are reports circulating that there will be a new Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia before the end of May. The government has come under increasing pressure as the waiting list for domestic workers in Malaysia continues to get longer and domestic workers are being smuggled or trafficked into the country to fill the gap in the market.
Has anyone heard what the conditions of the MOU will be?

Domestic worker demand effects Cambodians

Cambodia Struggles to Stem Domestic Worker Abuse
By Irwin Loy

PHNOM PENH, Mar 19, 2011 (IPS) - Cambodia’s fledgling domestic worker export industry continues to come under scrutiny amid allegations that women have been forcibly detained in privately run training centres.

see IPS for the full story

Better rules for hiring Indonesian Domestic Workers in Saudi Arabia

New rules for hiring Indonesian migrant workers, including domestic workers, have come into effect. These rules include some that are stronger than even International laws call for, such as a full address and map of the empolyers' house and a family card detailing the number of people in the family, it also includes letter of good conduct from the police and a list of those people they have previously employed. UFDWR also likes that the employers must make a written statement saying that they will treat the workers properly according to their human rights.

For details see news articles:

New Indonesian Rules on Domestics Irk Saudis

Work Agreement between Indonesian Migrant Workers and Saudi Arabia Becomes Effective

New "blue report" from the ILO

Report IV(1) was sent out to ILO constituents for their feedback in August 2010. Report IV(2A) contains the essential points of the replies received from governments and from employers’ and workers’ organization, as well as the Office commentary. On this basis, the Office prepared Report IV(2B) which contains a revised proposed Convention and Recommendation, and which will serve as a basis for the discussion at the 100th Session of the International Labour Conference.
Click here to go to the website

Stronger rules needed to protect domestic workers

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The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 02/16/2011 11:45 AM | National

More domestic workers in the country will suffer mistreatment unless the government and the House of Representatives counterparts pass a law on domestic workers protection, activists say.

Many female domestic workers, including women and girls, were living and working under poor conditions, where they were being exploited economically and suffering physical, psychological and sexual violence routinely, said Lita Anggraini, Coordinator of the National Network on Domestic Workers Advocacy (Jala PRT), on Tuesday.

“They haven’t benefitted from the same rights and protections that other workers receive,” she said.

The Indonesian government had not shown adequate response to the abuse and mistreatment the workers endured, she added.

According to Jala PRT, Indonesia has 10 million domestic workers at home and 6 million abroad, ranking it among the highest number of domestic workers worldwide. Instead of better working conditions, more domestic workers are facing abuse and mistreatment.

Citing the latest data, Lita said abuse and mistreatment of Indonesian domestic workers reached 726 cases in the last five years, including 536 cases of unpaid salary, of which 348 cases affected children domestic workers. Of the 726 cases, 617 involved torture and isolation of the workers at home, making them more vulnerable to mistreatment.

Many domestic workers suffered serious wounds and even died from regular mistreatment. Many cases affecting domestic workers were reported by neighbors.

Apart from torture, domestic workers face other violations of their rights as workers.

Jumiyem, an activist of Serikat PRT Tunas Mulia in Yogyakarta, said many domestic workers were living a far from reasonably comfortable life.

“They face living conditions as if they are slaves. Many of them are underpaid or not receiving wages,” she told The Jakarta Post over the telephone.

Moreover, many workers are facing excessive workloads, unclear job responsibilities, and excessive working hours, reaching between 12 to 16 hours per day, which might negatively affect their health.

Such a strong dichotomy between domestic workers and labor in other sectors has meant unfair and discriminative policies towards domestic workers. Furthermore, they are unable to get legal protection at local, national and international levels.

Amnesty International (AI) said Indonesian domestic workers, which are mostly women and children, are susceptible to exploitation and mistreatment unless the government and its counterparts in the legislature pass a Law on Domestic Workers Protection.

AI’s Asia Pacific Director, Sam Zarifi, said on Tuesday that about 2.6 million Indonesian domestic workers lacked access to legal protection.

“Up to now, domestic workers in Indonesia have not received strong legal protection compared to workers in other sectors,” he said, as quoted by Antara news portal.

He believes the 2003 Law on Manpower has discriminated against domestic workers. This law has not provided equal treatment for domestic workers and workers from other sectors, in terms of working hours and vacation.

Nova Riyanti Yusuf, a member of Commission IX overseeing health, labor, and social issues at the House, said the legislature was prioritizing the draft law on domestic worker protection to be debated this year.

“We face no substantive objections on this draft law,” she said. (ebf)

Press release from Taiwan on Filipino Migrant Workers

The Philippine government must prioritize its own people in Taiwan over the issue of Diplomacy

The Taiwan Committee for Philippine Concerns (TCPC) is very much concerned about how the Philippine government is treating its own people here in Taiwan as it aims to patch the diplomatic issues with China.

TCPC finds the deportation by the Philippines of 14 Taiwanese nationals to Mainland China condemnable because the Philippine government salvages its diplomatic relations with China at the expense of its own people working in Taiwan.

The TCPC, a network of individuals from different sectors (i.e. labor, indigenous people, academe, students and marriage migrants) in Taiwan concerned with Philippine issues, would like to remind Philippine President Benigno Aquino III that the Filipinos who are working in countries like Taiwan are the “lifeblood” of the Philippine economy. TCPC urges the Philippine government prioritize its own people in Taiwan over the issue of diplomacy.

It has been known publicly that Philippine diplomacy will only benefit those who hold positions in the government. This is somewhat reminiscent of the ZTE scandal that the previous Philippine government was involved in.

On the other hand, we deplore those people in Taiwan who demand the freeze-hiring of Filipino migrants as a retaliatory move to the Philippine government’s diplomatic backlash. These people in Taiwan must open their eyes on how migrant workers are helping to develop our economy and provide care to our elderly and ill family members. It is hypocritical and unwise for them to use migrants as sacrificial lambs.

We in TCPC are witnesses to the continuing abuse and exploitation experienced by Filipinos and other migrants in Taiwan. Despite the efforts of civil society organizations and migrant service providers to protect the rights of migrants in Taiwan, they will not be enough as long as the sending governments such as the Philippines continue to put more weight on political diplomacy rather than ensure the protection of their own people abroad such as those working here in Taiwan.

We believe that political diplomacy can be more beneficial if the concerns of their countrymen are put in the forefront.

Lastly, we call on the people of the Philippines and Taiwan not to be divided and instead continue to develop stronger people to people cooperation and solidarity.

15 February 2011

Reference: Hsiao-Chuan Hsia (Chairperson of TCPC)