In 2008 the Regional Campaign for Recognition of Domestic Work as Work highlighted the campaign call through the Tea towel display:
Voicing our Message! Read more here:
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
Thursday, 28 August 2008
International Solidarity Day with Foreign Domestic Workers
CARAM Asia Statement
AMMAN, JORDAN, 28 August 2008: We are over 30 women and men from the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Jordan, Lebanon, Burma, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong SAR and Nepal. We have met in Amman, Jordan from the 25th to 28th of August 2008, for the Roundtable Meeting with multi-stakeholders on Foreign Domestic Workers’ issues in Jordan and the Campaign Strategies Workshop, organised by CARAM Asia, for its on-going “One Paid Day off Weekly” for domestic workers campaign. We have analysed the impact of labour migration for domestic work on women foreign domestic workers in the Middle East region. We are aware that the undervaluation of women’s work, the sponsorship system that is widely practiced in the region, and the remittance driven labour sending policies of origin countries make women FDWs susceptible to abuse, violence, and human rights violations, including their health rights, at all stages of migration.
This consultation and campaign strategies workshop takes forward the reflections and processes that were initiated when the campaign launched, at the third ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC 3) in Singapore, a call to action for the recognition of domestic work as work by including this occupation in the national labour laws of countries. Such a call to action can only be achieved through the legal and social recognition of domestic work as work, subsequently realising the human and labour rights of domestic workers.
We, foreign domestic workers and strong advocates/activists of FDWs’ rights, express solidarity with the decades old, yet still ongoing, struggles of women domestic work against strong patriarchal systems that do not value women’s labour, reflected in the lack of legal protection for domestic workers, both foreign and national workers alike.
This has been an occasion for women domestic workers, community-based migrants’ organisations, migrant support groups, and non-governmental organisations to come together to reflect on and highlight the problems being faced by women FDWs, due to poverty and under or unemployment, being made worse by the rapid economic globalisation processes in origin countries, intensifying the women’s labour migration process.
It has been an occasion for us to reflect on the vital roles women FDWs play for the well-being of their families, communities, and the families that they work for, for the economies of both origin and destination countries, and within social reproduction systems of our society, all roles that need better recognition and valuation. While they provide a great deal for the well-being and function of families and society at large, their own health rights and the quality of life are extremely comprised due to the lack of labour rights in the occupation they work.
It has been an occasion for us to define strategies to counter the negative experiences of women FDWs, to define our vision of migration with rights and dignity, to draw strength from each other, and to bring synergy between our struggles across the regions.
We acknowledge that the cause of women domestic workers is gradually being recognised and that support is being extended by various groups. We are aware that there are some good employers, just as there are very many abusive employers. We do not demonise employers while we critique the structure in which labour migration for domestic work is being operated. The cyclical short-term structure of migration facilitates the enrichment of a handful of recruitment agencies and allows unscrupulous middle men to operate ruthlessly at the expense of foreign domestic workers. At the same time, guilt can also be directed towards origin governments who have been inefficient, or deficient, in protecting their citizens abroad.
Our Campaign demands that:
- Governments enact laws and adopt other measures to ensure that the rights of domestic workers are protected legally, and to change the national labour laws that do not protect domestic workers’ rights;
- The United Nations and International Labour Organisation (ILO) develop new mechanisms for the protection and realisation of domestic workers’ rights;
- Member States ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families; and
- Governments develop redress mechanisms for more effective accountability of non-State actors (employers, recruitment agencies, brokers) for violations against domestic workers.
We call on support from everyone who believe in equality and justice for domestic workers, both national and foreign, by endorsing this statement on this important day for FDWs.
Monday, 25 August 2008
Join Forces to Protect Foreign Domestic Workers
AMMAN, JORDAN 26 August 2008: Migrants rights representatives from 15 countries today called for greater cooperation between the Jordanian authorities, international agencies and civil society for the protection of foreign domestic workers.
During a high-level roundtable forum on the situation of foreign domestic workers, the representatives welcomed Jordan’s recent move to amend the labour law to include the protection of all domestic workers but emphasised the need for implementation to begin as soon as possible. They were speaking on behalf of domestic worker associations and rights groups from origin and destination countries in Asia and the Middle East.
“We urge the Jordanian government to speedily enact the relevant by-laws to ensure the protection domestic workers, both Jordanian and foreign. Such a standardised and efficient approach will address the serious labour and human rights violations that too many migrant workers experience. It will also allow problems or disputes to be resolved before they become critical,” said Cynthia Gabriel, Regional Coordinator of CARAM Asia, a leading regional network working on the rights of migrant workers.
Last month, His Royal Highness King Abdullah the 2nd signed this amendment which was gazetted on August 17th 2008. This has coincided with growing public awareness of cases in which foreign domestic workers have been subjected to serious violations including physical abuse, non-payment of wages and denial of rest days.
“We welcome this positive development which will strengthen Jordan’s commitment to human rights and justice. We urge the Royal Jordanian government to encourage other countries in the region to adopt similar measures for the protection of domestic workers,” said Asem Rababa, President of the ADALEH Center for Human Rights Studies.
“We hope that the Jordanian government will work closely with civil society and migrant worker groups to ensure effective implementation of the law. Allowing migrant workers to unionise would help in this process,” said Eni Lestari, representative of Asian Migrant Coordination Body.
The high-level roundtable forum which was hosted by the ADALEH Center for Human Rights Studies and co-organised by UNIFEM and CARAM Asia was attended by representatives of the Jordanian government, the Solidarity Center, CARITAS Lebanon as well as groups from Bahrain, Bangladesh, Burma, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Thailand.
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
"Wage Increase Delayed is justice Denied"
Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB-IMA)Members from Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines(The AMCB is a member of the International Migrants’ Alliance or IMA – a global alliance mainly of grassroots migrant organizations from 25 countries) Press Release01 July 2008For reference: Eni Lestari Spokesperson, Tel. No.: (852) 96081475
“Wage increase delayed is justice denied”Foreign maids march to press for immediate wage hike “Each day that a wage increase for migrant workers is delayed is a denial of justice.” This was declared today by Eni Lestari, spokesperson of the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB) as hundreds of foreign domestic workers carried the call for an immediate wage increase for FDWs and the legislation of a minimum wage for all workers in the July 1st demonstration. “We are into the second half of the year already and still the HK government refuses to give us our share of the economic rebound through a substantial wage increase. Every day, we labor under the same condition, we work even longer hours, the HK government charges us the same fees and our plight is unchanged. The government shows its utter unconcern and disregard to our situation as the days go by,” she added. Early in June, news broke out that the government shall grant a HK$50 wage increase for FDWs. However, it remains unconfirmed up to now. For the past years, the results of the annual review of FDWs minimum allowable wage are announced on the second quarter of the year. “Now, the government is not only denying us a significant wage increase. It is withholding its decision that will result to the exemption of thousands more FDWs from any addition to the minimum wage for their next contract,” Lestari lamented. According to Lestari, hundreds of FDWs process their contracts everyday. She said that for Filipinos alone, a minimum of 400 contracts are processed everyday. This figure, she said, is roughly the same with Indonesians. “Each day, more and more of us have to process a contract under the current MAW level and cannot expect a wage hike for the next two years. With inflation and the increase in prices of many basic goods in Hong Kong, the deterioration of the economic condition of our families back home , and the dwindling value of our remittance, how can we survive without a wage hike?” she remarked. AMCB submitted its petition for a wage increase early this year. The group cited the economic recovery of Hong Kong as shown by its HK$100 billion budget as one of the major reasons for the wage increase. Lestari averred that the refusal of the government to grant the increase for FDWs also “reeks of discrimination.” “We are the first to suffer the brunt of policies that impact our livelihood. But we are also the last to be given even a little reprieve from hardships,” she said. Lestari, who is also the chairperson of the newly-founded International Migrants Alliance or IMA, relayed that they shall expose the HK government’s “insensitivity” to the migrant workers in the international community. “We shall gather the support of members of the IMA to put more pressure to the government to give in to our demands. Wage increase is a just fight for all migrants,” she remarked. The IMA is an alliance of more than 100 organizations of migrants, mostly grassroots, from 25 countries. It was established recently in HK and has resolved to launch campaigns on wage and job security among others. “The benefits of the economic rebound still have not trickled down to grassroots level. We still have to contend with hardships brought by past massive wage cuts, insignificant wage increases, and the continued collection of the levy. It is high time for the government to give us justice and answer our wage increase demand,” Lestari concluded.#
“Wage increase delayed is justice denied”Foreign maids march to press for immediate wage hike “Each day that a wage increase for migrant workers is delayed is a denial of justice.” This was declared today by Eni Lestari, spokesperson of the Asian Migrants’ Coordinating Body (AMCB) as hundreds of foreign domestic workers carried the call for an immediate wage increase for FDWs and the legislation of a minimum wage for all workers in the July 1st demonstration. “We are into the second half of the year already and still the HK government refuses to give us our share of the economic rebound through a substantial wage increase. Every day, we labor under the same condition, we work even longer hours, the HK government charges us the same fees and our plight is unchanged. The government shows its utter unconcern and disregard to our situation as the days go by,” she added. Early in June, news broke out that the government shall grant a HK$50 wage increase for FDWs. However, it remains unconfirmed up to now. For the past years, the results of the annual review of FDWs minimum allowable wage are announced on the second quarter of the year. “Now, the government is not only denying us a significant wage increase. It is withholding its decision that will result to the exemption of thousands more FDWs from any addition to the minimum wage for their next contract,” Lestari lamented. According to Lestari, hundreds of FDWs process their contracts everyday. She said that for Filipinos alone, a minimum of 400 contracts are processed everyday. This figure, she said, is roughly the same with Indonesians. “Each day, more and more of us have to process a contract under the current MAW level and cannot expect a wage hike for the next two years. With inflation and the increase in prices of many basic goods in Hong Kong, the deterioration of the economic condition of our families back home , and the dwindling value of our remittance, how can we survive without a wage hike?” she remarked. AMCB submitted its petition for a wage increase early this year. The group cited the economic recovery of Hong Kong as shown by its HK$100 billion budget as one of the major reasons for the wage increase. Lestari averred that the refusal of the government to grant the increase for FDWs also “reeks of discrimination.” “We are the first to suffer the brunt of policies that impact our livelihood. But we are also the last to be given even a little reprieve from hardships,” she said. Lestari, who is also the chairperson of the newly-founded International Migrants Alliance or IMA, relayed that they shall expose the HK government’s “insensitivity” to the migrant workers in the international community. “We shall gather the support of members of the IMA to put more pressure to the government to give in to our demands. Wage increase is a just fight for all migrants,” she remarked. The IMA is an alliance of more than 100 organizations of migrants, mostly grassroots, from 25 countries. It was established recently in HK and has resolved to launch campaigns on wage and job security among others. “The benefits of the economic rebound still have not trickled down to grassroots level. We still have to contend with hardships brought by past massive wage cuts, insignificant wage increases, and the continued collection of the levy. It is high time for the government to give us justice and answer our wage increase demand,” Lestari concluded.#
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Workers without Workers’ Rights
CARAM ASIA STATEMENT
On the occsation of the International Labour Day , CARAM Asia urges the governments of both origin and destination countries to extend key labour protections to domestic workers and recognise domestic work as work.
Foreign domestic workers (FDWs) represent the most vulnerable category of workers. Being excluded from legally protected occupations, women domestic workers are isolated from mainstream labour, social and health protection laws and policies. This means domestic workers do not enjoy the minimum standards of employment that other workers do, such as a weekly day off, standard working hours, compensation for workplace injury and a minimum wage. The lack of legal protection for FDWs leads to numerous human rights violations resulting in a serious toll on their health and wellbeing. This violation of workers’ rights to adequate rest hours, appropriate working conditions, and a work environment free of abuse directly contribute to their poor state of health. The extreme cases of workplace hazards to which FDWs are exposed during their employment are evident in the growing incidences of death from workplace accidents or suicide. These abuses must be halted.
The majority of FDWs leave home in their prime age of reproduction. Hindered by language barriers and a lack of information and awareness on sexual and reproductive health issues, FDWs are vulnerable to communicable diseases, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. This lack of awareness, as well as personal power, to pursue safe sex leads to ill health and an increased risk of sexual violence.
FDWs are confined to their employer’s household and not being able to access to health services should they face abuse. The home has been characterized as a sanctuary for women’s human rights violators as home/domestic workers are isolated from public scrutiny and abuses are done with impunity. Unless the home is recognized as a workplace and those employed within are protected in terms of their labour and human rights, the problem will continue.
FDWs contribute to the wellbeing of their family through remittances and by providing labour to nurture the family of their employers. Therefore, their social reproductive role contributes to the sustainability of economies in both home and destination countries. However, most destination countries’ social security schemes, insurance for workplace injury, and access to employment provident funds, exclude them from social protection. In many countries, domestic workers are considered “servants” in the Employment Act and by default domestic workers are not granted their labour rights.
It is the responsibility of both source and destination countries to ensure the fundamental labour and health rights of domestic workers are guaranteed. The violation of FDWs rights occurs at all stages of the migration process. Countless cases and numerous forms of violation happen at the hands of recruitment agencies that must be subjected to prosecution and scrutiny by governments to ensure that abuse will stop. Also, it is essential that the rights of FDWs to redress must be recognised and that her right to stay and work during the time of a pending case must be ensured. Otherwise, her right to redress is only on paper but not followed in practice. An equally significant matter is the need for States to develop a policy and invest in programs for reintegration, skill training, and financial saving for returnee FDWs so they will not have to migrate time and again. Governments have to ensure that migration for employment as domestic workers must become a choice, not because of the lack of option.
On Labour Day, CARAM Asia reaffirms its commitment to work towards reclaiming the rights of FDWs while calling on the governments involved in the migration process to:
· Recognise domestic work as socio-economic activity by enacting labour laws to protect domestic workers or by amending labour laws that do not protect their rights,
· Adopt specific policies to provide FDWs’ access to health care services and social security,
· Ensure that FDWs enjoy the universal right to free association and are legally permitted to join unions like workers from other sectors,
· Halt mandatory health screening of migrants that lead to deportation,
· Abolish the employer sponsored visa system for domestic workers that leads to an unregulated work place, and
· Develop enforcement mechanisms for States and non state actors who violate FDWs’ rights.
On the occsation of the International Labour Day , CARAM Asia urges the governments of both origin and destination countries to extend key labour protections to domestic workers and recognise domestic work as work.
Foreign domestic workers (FDWs) represent the most vulnerable category of workers. Being excluded from legally protected occupations, women domestic workers are isolated from mainstream labour, social and health protection laws and policies. This means domestic workers do not enjoy the minimum standards of employment that other workers do, such as a weekly day off, standard working hours, compensation for workplace injury and a minimum wage. The lack of legal protection for FDWs leads to numerous human rights violations resulting in a serious toll on their health and wellbeing. This violation of workers’ rights to adequate rest hours, appropriate working conditions, and a work environment free of abuse directly contribute to their poor state of health. The extreme cases of workplace hazards to which FDWs are exposed during their employment are evident in the growing incidences of death from workplace accidents or suicide. These abuses must be halted.
The majority of FDWs leave home in their prime age of reproduction. Hindered by language barriers and a lack of information and awareness on sexual and reproductive health issues, FDWs are vulnerable to communicable diseases, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. This lack of awareness, as well as personal power, to pursue safe sex leads to ill health and an increased risk of sexual violence.
FDWs are confined to their employer’s household and not being able to access to health services should they face abuse. The home has been characterized as a sanctuary for women’s human rights violators as home/domestic workers are isolated from public scrutiny and abuses are done with impunity. Unless the home is recognized as a workplace and those employed within are protected in terms of their labour and human rights, the problem will continue.
FDWs contribute to the wellbeing of their family through remittances and by providing labour to nurture the family of their employers. Therefore, their social reproductive role contributes to the sustainability of economies in both home and destination countries. However, most destination countries’ social security schemes, insurance for workplace injury, and access to employment provident funds, exclude them from social protection. In many countries, domestic workers are considered “servants” in the Employment Act and by default domestic workers are not granted their labour rights.
It is the responsibility of both source and destination countries to ensure the fundamental labour and health rights of domestic workers are guaranteed. The violation of FDWs rights occurs at all stages of the migration process. Countless cases and numerous forms of violation happen at the hands of recruitment agencies that must be subjected to prosecution and scrutiny by governments to ensure that abuse will stop. Also, it is essential that the rights of FDWs to redress must be recognised and that her right to stay and work during the time of a pending case must be ensured. Otherwise, her right to redress is only on paper but not followed in practice. An equally significant matter is the need for States to develop a policy and invest in programs for reintegration, skill training, and financial saving for returnee FDWs so they will not have to migrate time and again. Governments have to ensure that migration for employment as domestic workers must become a choice, not because of the lack of option.
On Labour Day, CARAM Asia reaffirms its commitment to work towards reclaiming the rights of FDWs while calling on the governments involved in the migration process to:
· Recognise domestic work as socio-economic activity by enacting labour laws to protect domestic workers or by amending labour laws that do not protect their rights,
· Adopt specific policies to provide FDWs’ access to health care services and social security,
· Ensure that FDWs enjoy the universal right to free association and are legally permitted to join unions like workers from other sectors,
· Halt mandatory health screening of migrants that lead to deportation,
· Abolish the employer sponsored visa system for domestic workers that leads to an unregulated work place, and
· Develop enforcement mechanisms for States and non state actors who violate FDWs’ rights.
'Battle not won' for rest days
Lin Yanqinyanqin@mediacorp.com.sg
THEY are often seen as hired help to be squeezed for their wages' worth — but foreign domestic workers are themselves parents or children of families back home, seeking a better life by working here.
.
That is the message three civil societies hope to communicate to young people here, so that they will see in a different light the maids caring for their needs, sometimes without any time off.
.
"We are going to go to schools and we will ask them to think about the auntie who brings them to school, who cooks and cleans for them, whether she has any siblings or children," said United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) Singapore president Saleemah Ismail. "We want the schoolchildren to think about them as human beings who deserve rest too."
.
Such school talks are one of the ways in which Unifem, along with Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), hope to change the way Singaporeans view the issue of giving the 170,000 foreign domestic workers here a rest day from their labours.
.
Joining forces for the first time, the three non-governmental organisations will roll out a campaign from tomorrow.
.
Since the introduction of the standard maid employment contract by industry accreditation bodies, there has been a perception that "the battle has been won", said TWC2 president John Gee. "People said, we don't need to campaign anymore," he said at a media briefing yesterday. "But we are not seeing the radical transformation that we were expecting with the contract."
.
Citing figures from Today's recent poll of 50 employers — which showed 40 per cent of them did not give their maids any rest days — Ms Ismail felt that more public education was needed to clarify employers' misconceptions about rest days. The campaign also features a website www.dayoff.sg, a one-stop resource featuring advice on rest days and activities that maids can take part in on their days off.
.
Home executive director Jolovan Wham said while most Singaporeans were clear about their feelings regarding maid abuse, they were less vocal about rest days. "They don't view it as very important, and we want to encourage people to speak up," he said.
.
One way the public can do so is by putting their names on an online supporter list for rest days for maids.
.
But are such moves enough — given that there have been similar efforts in the past? Ms Ismail said this first-time three-way collaboration "might have more impact".
.
"It's too early to tell whether it's enough. It will take partnership between all parties for it to really happen," she added.
.
Indeed, throughout the year, the three groups will engage employment agencies in dialogue to help promote better practices — such as having agents recommend to employers that they give their maids a day off.
.
Mr Gee said: "They are the first point of contact by employers and are seen as an authority, so their practices are very important. We hope to address what holds them back from doing so."
.
In a letter to Today published on Monday, Indonesian maid Warminingsih pointed out that contracts are drawn up in English, which many maids from her country do not understand. "If agencies insist that employers give a day off to their maids, that will help us," she wrote.
.
In a statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the campaign was "in line with MOM's effort to ensure that foreign domestic workers are accorded adequate rest. MOM is committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of all foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, are safeguarded while working in Singapore".
April 30, 2008
Civic groups campaign for maids' day-off
By Keith Lin
CIVIL society groups are renewing efforts to get employers of maids to give them at least one day off each month.
The groups are embarking on a year-long publicity campaign calling on employers to give the estimated 180,000 maids here their days of rest.
The joint campaign by three non-governmental organisations - the National Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) Singapore, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) - will kick off tomorrow with the launch of the website dayoff.sg.
This will feature suggestions on how employers can make lifestyle adjustments so that their maids can get time off and list enrichment courses that such workers can take up on their rest days.
Other activities planned for the year: dialogues with students, and media advertisements to raise public awareness.
Said Unifem Singapore president Saleemah Ismail: 'Over time, we hope that it will become second nature for employers to give their maids rest days, just like what they enjoy at their own workplaces.'
Foreign domestic workers here are excluded from Singapore's Employment Act, which stipulates minimum days off and maximum weekly working hours.
They are, however, covered under Work Permit regulations that require all employers to look after their workers' well-being, including providing them with proper housing and adequate rest.
The current campaign marks the first time civil society groups are collaborating on this issue.
TWC2 has been championing the cause since 2003. Then known as The Working Committee 2, it sent a report to the Manpower Ministry advocating, among other things, legislation requiring employers to give their maids at least two days off every month.
The ministry has, however, eschewed legislation, preferring a reconciliatory to a litigious approach.
In 2006, the Association of Employment Agencies and CaseTrust, the arm of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) that accredits maid agencies, came out with a standard maid employment contract that stipulates a compulsory day off every month or cash in lieu.
The three NGOs are, however, against the offer of cash in lieu, arguing that days off are a basic right.
They add that despite the contracts, reports of maids being denied sufficient rest continue to surface.
The Indonesian Embassy here said it receives around 30 phone calls daily from maids complaining that they do not get a day off - roughly the same number as before the standard contracts were implemented.
Said Mr Arsi Juga, the embassy's Third Secretary for consular affairs who handles maid-related issues: 'Many domestic workers remain unaware that they have the right to ask for a day off or cash in lieu. Some are simply too afraid to ask.'
A spokesman for the Manpower Ministry said the campaign is 'in line' with its own efforts to ensure that foreign domestic workers get adequate rest.
Over the years, the ministry has taken steps to enhance the protection and support of maids. The minimum age for maids has been raised from 18 to 23, and first-time employers must now attend a course on how to treat maids.
'We are committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of all foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, are safeguarded while they are working in Singapore,' the spokesman said.
Figures from the Manpower Ministry indicate that only four in 10,000 maids here have reported abuse of any sort by their employers.
Mr John Gee of TWC2 said he detected a 'certain level of wariness' on the part of the Government in dealing with the day-off issue, even though the latter dealt with maid abuse cases very efficiently.
Employer resistance could explain why it was against legislating days off, he said.
IT engineer Jason Chua is one such employer. He makes it a point to give his Filipino maid of three years her days off but wants to retain flexibility in doing so.
Said the 38-year-old, who lives with his wife and ailing mother in a four-room flat in Bedok: 'My maid knows my mother's daily needs very well, so we need her around often. But whenever we have time on weekends, she is free to go.'
THEY are often seen as hired help to be squeezed for their wages' worth — but foreign domestic workers are themselves parents or children of families back home, seeking a better life by working here.
.
That is the message three civil societies hope to communicate to young people here, so that they will see in a different light the maids caring for their needs, sometimes without any time off.
.
"We are going to go to schools and we will ask them to think about the auntie who brings them to school, who cooks and cleans for them, whether she has any siblings or children," said United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) Singapore president Saleemah Ismail. "We want the schoolchildren to think about them as human beings who deserve rest too."
.
Such school talks are one of the ways in which Unifem, along with Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), hope to change the way Singaporeans view the issue of giving the 170,000 foreign domestic workers here a rest day from their labours.
.
Joining forces for the first time, the three non-governmental organisations will roll out a campaign from tomorrow.
.
Since the introduction of the standard maid employment contract by industry accreditation bodies, there has been a perception that "the battle has been won", said TWC2 president John Gee. "People said, we don't need to campaign anymore," he said at a media briefing yesterday. "But we are not seeing the radical transformation that we were expecting with the contract."
.
Citing figures from Today's recent poll of 50 employers — which showed 40 per cent of them did not give their maids any rest days — Ms Ismail felt that more public education was needed to clarify employers' misconceptions about rest days. The campaign also features a website www.dayoff.sg, a one-stop resource featuring advice on rest days and activities that maids can take part in on their days off.
.
Home executive director Jolovan Wham said while most Singaporeans were clear about their feelings regarding maid abuse, they were less vocal about rest days. "They don't view it as very important, and we want to encourage people to speak up," he said.
.
One way the public can do so is by putting their names on an online supporter list for rest days for maids.
.
But are such moves enough — given that there have been similar efforts in the past? Ms Ismail said this first-time three-way collaboration "might have more impact".
.
"It's too early to tell whether it's enough. It will take partnership between all parties for it to really happen," she added.
.
Indeed, throughout the year, the three groups will engage employment agencies in dialogue to help promote better practices — such as having agents recommend to employers that they give their maids a day off.
.
Mr Gee said: "They are the first point of contact by employers and are seen as an authority, so their practices are very important. We hope to address what holds them back from doing so."
.
In a letter to Today published on Monday, Indonesian maid Warminingsih pointed out that contracts are drawn up in English, which many maids from her country do not understand. "If agencies insist that employers give a day off to their maids, that will help us," she wrote.
.
In a statement, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said the campaign was "in line with MOM's effort to ensure that foreign domestic workers are accorded adequate rest. MOM is committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of all foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, are safeguarded while working in Singapore".
April 30, 2008
Civic groups campaign for maids' day-off
By Keith Lin
CIVIL society groups are renewing efforts to get employers of maids to give them at least one day off each month.
The groups are embarking on a year-long publicity campaign calling on employers to give the estimated 180,000 maids here their days of rest.
The joint campaign by three non-governmental organisations - the National Committee for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) Singapore, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) - will kick off tomorrow with the launch of the website dayoff.sg.
This will feature suggestions on how employers can make lifestyle adjustments so that their maids can get time off and list enrichment courses that such workers can take up on their rest days.
Other activities planned for the year: dialogues with students, and media advertisements to raise public awareness.
Said Unifem Singapore president Saleemah Ismail: 'Over time, we hope that it will become second nature for employers to give their maids rest days, just like what they enjoy at their own workplaces.'
Foreign domestic workers here are excluded from Singapore's Employment Act, which stipulates minimum days off and maximum weekly working hours.
They are, however, covered under Work Permit regulations that require all employers to look after their workers' well-being, including providing them with proper housing and adequate rest.
The current campaign marks the first time civil society groups are collaborating on this issue.
TWC2 has been championing the cause since 2003. Then known as The Working Committee 2, it sent a report to the Manpower Ministry advocating, among other things, legislation requiring employers to give their maids at least two days off every month.
The ministry has, however, eschewed legislation, preferring a reconciliatory to a litigious approach.
In 2006, the Association of Employment Agencies and CaseTrust, the arm of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) that accredits maid agencies, came out with a standard maid employment contract that stipulates a compulsory day off every month or cash in lieu.
The three NGOs are, however, against the offer of cash in lieu, arguing that days off are a basic right.
They add that despite the contracts, reports of maids being denied sufficient rest continue to surface.
The Indonesian Embassy here said it receives around 30 phone calls daily from maids complaining that they do not get a day off - roughly the same number as before the standard contracts were implemented.
Said Mr Arsi Juga, the embassy's Third Secretary for consular affairs who handles maid-related issues: 'Many domestic workers remain unaware that they have the right to ask for a day off or cash in lieu. Some are simply too afraid to ask.'
A spokesman for the Manpower Ministry said the campaign is 'in line' with its own efforts to ensure that foreign domestic workers get adequate rest.
Over the years, the ministry has taken steps to enhance the protection and support of maids. The minimum age for maids has been raised from 18 to 23, and first-time employers must now attend a course on how to treat maids.
'We are committed to ensuring that the interests and welfare of all foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers, are safeguarded while they are working in Singapore,' the spokesman said.
Figures from the Manpower Ministry indicate that only four in 10,000 maids here have reported abuse of any sort by their employers.
Mr John Gee of TWC2 said he detected a 'certain level of wariness' on the part of the Government in dealing with the day-off issue, even though the latter dealt with maid abuse cases very efficiently.
Employer resistance could explain why it was against legislating days off, he said.
IT engineer Jason Chua is one such employer. He makes it a point to give his Filipino maid of three years her days off but wants to retain flexibility in doing so.
Said the 38-year-old, who lives with his wife and ailing mother in a four-room flat in Bedok: 'My maid knows my mother's daily needs very well, so we need her around often. But whenever we have time on weekends, she is free to go.'
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
New Deal For Sri Lankan Domestic Help
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42144
By Feizal SamathKUWAIT, Apr 28 (IPS) -
Recruiters for Sri Lankan housemaids in Kuwaiti homes, under fire for a host of problems faced by the domestic workers, have agreed to accept a greater measure of responsibility.More than 200 agents based in Colombo and Kuwait met at a hotel here last week and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that binds agents from both countries to protect domestic workers. For the first time, the agents were not passing the buck to the governments or the state-owned Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau -- as they normally do when housemaids are in trouble. In what many agree is a landmark move for the migrant worker industry in Sri Lanka, the two groups agreed that the crisis plaguing the industry where housemaids end up suffering harassment, rape, abuse, assault and non-payment of wages at the hands of employers was partly their fault. "We have to stop blaming others and take responsibility for this state of affairs. These things wouldn't have happened if we -- on both sides of the trade -- had proper contracts, proper selection of workers, etc.," noted Suraj Dandeniya, president of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agents of Sri Lanka (ALFEA). Zain Milhan, president of the Sri Lanka Manpower Welfare Association of Kuwait (SLMWAK) agreed. "How do we get a good name? How do we become responsible, do good business? Are we concerned only about commissions and making money? Shouldn't we run a good business, a good trade?" SLMWAK represents some 90 percent of the foreign employment business in Kuwait -- Sri Lanka's second largest labour-generating market after Saudi Arabia -- and accounting for nearly 200,000 jobs. The bulk of the workers are housemaids. ALFEA is the only government recognised association representing 800 job agents in Sri Lanka. There is added significance to the agreement because Sri Lankan nationals dominate the foreign employment market in this country. Many of the job agency businesses, in which Kuwaitis are owners as per local rules, are managed by Sri Lankans. Incidentally, quite a few are housemaids-turned-managers. These agencies bring workers from many countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines. There are more than 1.4 million Sri Lankan workers across the Middle East and many, housemaids in particular, have faced problems. to Sri Lanka's ambassador in Kuwait S.A.C.M. Zuhyle told IPS that often unsuitable people are recruited. Of the 1,057 housemaids sent home last year from Kuwait, nearly 800 cases had failed medical tests, were mentally unfit, were pregnant on arrival, or had infants at home. "They should never have been selected in the first place," Zuhyle said, adding that the majority of the problems would be eliminated if proper selections are made. A Kuwaiti agent said in one case a woman gave birth, just two days after arriving from Colombo. Another case, reported in the Colombo newspapers earlier this month, was of a maid who had given birth to a baby later found dead inside a washing machine. "It was revealed that the housemaid was five months pregnant when she came here," said Ranmalee (one name) who helps manage a Kuwaiti job agency. "Quite a few problems are also because the housemaids are not familiar with what to expect here in terms of work, environment etc.," Ranmalee said, illustrating how other Sri Lankans encourage housemaids to run away from their first employer as there is more lucrative freelance work outside. When that happens, the woman leaves behind her passport and visa documents, making it difficult for her to return home or find another legitimate job. At the Kuwaiti discussions it was revealed that there is a huge racket in medical certificates and very often, housemaids who have failed their medical examination, turn up in Kuwait with a bogus certificate. Underage workers are another problem. Rizana Nafeek, a 20-year-old migrant worker, facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia for allegedly 'intentionally' killing a four-month-old infant while she was giving it a midday bottle feed in May 2005. Nafeek was just 17 when she first arrived in Saudi Arabia, although her age was mentioned as 23 in the passport. She told a judge at the trial that her date of birth had been falsified by the employment agency. Agents from both sides share the blame for the state of affairs. Often job agents -- in a hurry to make money -- do away with the basic role of screening applicants and making sure they are suitable in terms of capacity to work long hours and medically fit. Both Dandeniya and Milhan, heading the respective agents' associations in Sri Lanka and Kuwait, agree that there are 'bad' eggs amongst agents just like "any other profession". Milhan said there is a plan to set up a computerised network system which would blacklist bad sponsors or employers who have created problems for housemaids. "Through this all our members can check when a sponsor seeks a housemaid,'' he told IPS. On the Colombo side, ALFEA is working on ensuring that proper screening is done before housemaids are sent abroad and there is less corruption in issuing medical certificates or passports with bogus age. The new attitude among recruiting agents may have been prompted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse comments recently about the government contemplating a ban on Sri Lankan females working as housemaids overseas due to the enormous social problems they leave behind, especially those concerning their young children. "If that (a ban) happens we are all finished," said one agent here. "What happens then to the 600,000 to 700,000 housemaids who are already employed in the Middle East? Who will give them jobs?" he asked. Remittances from Sri Lankan workers represent the largest source of foreign exchange for this South Asian island country after garment exports.
By Feizal SamathKUWAIT, Apr 28 (IPS) -
Recruiters for Sri Lankan housemaids in Kuwaiti homes, under fire for a host of problems faced by the domestic workers, have agreed to accept a greater measure of responsibility.More than 200 agents based in Colombo and Kuwait met at a hotel here last week and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that binds agents from both countries to protect domestic workers. For the first time, the agents were not passing the buck to the governments or the state-owned Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau -- as they normally do when housemaids are in trouble. In what many agree is a landmark move for the migrant worker industry in Sri Lanka, the two groups agreed that the crisis plaguing the industry where housemaids end up suffering harassment, rape, abuse, assault and non-payment of wages at the hands of employers was partly their fault. "We have to stop blaming others and take responsibility for this state of affairs. These things wouldn't have happened if we -- on both sides of the trade -- had proper contracts, proper selection of workers, etc.," noted Suraj Dandeniya, president of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agents of Sri Lanka (ALFEA). Zain Milhan, president of the Sri Lanka Manpower Welfare Association of Kuwait (SLMWAK) agreed. "How do we get a good name? How do we become responsible, do good business? Are we concerned only about commissions and making money? Shouldn't we run a good business, a good trade?" SLMWAK represents some 90 percent of the foreign employment business in Kuwait -- Sri Lanka's second largest labour-generating market after Saudi Arabia -- and accounting for nearly 200,000 jobs. The bulk of the workers are housemaids. ALFEA is the only government recognised association representing 800 job agents in Sri Lanka. There is added significance to the agreement because Sri Lankan nationals dominate the foreign employment market in this country. Many of the job agency businesses, in which Kuwaitis are owners as per local rules, are managed by Sri Lankans. Incidentally, quite a few are housemaids-turned-managers. These agencies bring workers from many countries, including Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines. There are more than 1.4 million Sri Lankan workers across the Middle East and many, housemaids in particular, have faced problems. to Sri Lanka's ambassador in Kuwait S.A.C.M. Zuhyle told IPS that often unsuitable people are recruited. Of the 1,057 housemaids sent home last year from Kuwait, nearly 800 cases had failed medical tests, were mentally unfit, were pregnant on arrival, or had infants at home. "They should never have been selected in the first place," Zuhyle said, adding that the majority of the problems would be eliminated if proper selections are made. A Kuwaiti agent said in one case a woman gave birth, just two days after arriving from Colombo. Another case, reported in the Colombo newspapers earlier this month, was of a maid who had given birth to a baby later found dead inside a washing machine. "It was revealed that the housemaid was five months pregnant when she came here," said Ranmalee (one name) who helps manage a Kuwaiti job agency. "Quite a few problems are also because the housemaids are not familiar with what to expect here in terms of work, environment etc.," Ranmalee said, illustrating how other Sri Lankans encourage housemaids to run away from their first employer as there is more lucrative freelance work outside. When that happens, the woman leaves behind her passport and visa documents, making it difficult for her to return home or find another legitimate job. At the Kuwaiti discussions it was revealed that there is a huge racket in medical certificates and very often, housemaids who have failed their medical examination, turn up in Kuwait with a bogus certificate. Underage workers are another problem. Rizana Nafeek, a 20-year-old migrant worker, facing a death sentence in Saudi Arabia for allegedly 'intentionally' killing a four-month-old infant while she was giving it a midday bottle feed in May 2005. Nafeek was just 17 when she first arrived in Saudi Arabia, although her age was mentioned as 23 in the passport. She told a judge at the trial that her date of birth had been falsified by the employment agency. Agents from both sides share the blame for the state of affairs. Often job agents -- in a hurry to make money -- do away with the basic role of screening applicants and making sure they are suitable in terms of capacity to work long hours and medically fit. Both Dandeniya and Milhan, heading the respective agents' associations in Sri Lanka and Kuwait, agree that there are 'bad' eggs amongst agents just like "any other profession". Milhan said there is a plan to set up a computerised network system which would blacklist bad sponsors or employers who have created problems for housemaids. "Through this all our members can check when a sponsor seeks a housemaid,'' he told IPS. On the Colombo side, ALFEA is working on ensuring that proper screening is done before housemaids are sent abroad and there is less corruption in issuing medical certificates or passports with bogus age. The new attitude among recruiting agents may have been prompted Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse comments recently about the government contemplating a ban on Sri Lankan females working as housemaids overseas due to the enormous social problems they leave behind, especially those concerning their young children. "If that (a ban) happens we are all finished," said one agent here. "What happens then to the 600,000 to 700,000 housemaids who are already employed in the Middle East? Who will give them jobs?" he asked. Remittances from Sri Lankan workers represent the largest source of foreign exchange for this South Asian island country after garment exports.
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