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Colombia: Only 1 out of 100 house workers have formal labor contract

Colombia: Only 1 out of 100 house workers have formal labor contract

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by IDWFED published Jul 23, 2014 12:00 AM
Despite a series of laws meant to encourage the transition toward the formal workforce, Colombia’s domestic laborers are overwhelmingly part of the country’s large “informal” sector, made up of those workers without labor contracts, according to a study released Wednesday. A National Union Labor School (Escuela Nacional Sindical — ENS) report claimed that only 8,000 of the 735,000 people working in the domestic employment sector enjoy guaranteed benefits or other labor protections that come with a formal contract. Domestic workers, 95% of whom are women, according to the report, often work 48 hours a week or more for less than minimum salary, according the ENS. Only one in 10 has a formal contract.

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COLOMBIA -

Despite a series of laws meant to encourage the transition toward the formal workforce, Colombia’s domestic laborers are overwhelmingly part of the country’s large “informal” sector, made up of those workers without labor contracts, according to a study released Wednesday.

A National Union Labor School (Escuela Nacional Sindical — ENS) report claimed that only 8,000 of the 735,000 people working in the domestic employment sector enjoy guaranteed benefits or other labor protections that come with a formal contract.



Domestic workers, 95% of whom are women, according to the report, often work 48 hours a week or more for less than minimum salary, according the ENS. Only one in 10 has a formal contract.

“The human rights of women are an invisible part of human rights, and the current status of domestic work in Colombia requires urgent actions,“ the report concludes.

The study states that domestic work has been a gateway to employment for women with little education, low rates of literacy, and little to no work experience. As a previous Colombia Reports investigation revealed, over 80% of Colombians without a college education eventually work informally. A lack of education not only prevents workers from obtaining more steady employment, it ensures informal workers are often unaware of the relevant labor law.

“Domestic work, as given in the privacy of a home, is not recognized as an employment relationship. Additionally, there are obstacles such as high illiteracy surrounding domestic workers, preventing them from claiming their rights,” said ENS official Vivian Osorio, according to the national El Tiempo newspaper.

Because of their informal status, domestic workers do not receive required pension and social security payments on behalf of their employers or paid vacation and sick leave, nor are they protected by occupational risk laws.The ENS performed a case study of Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, finding that 91% of domestic employees worked between 10 to 18 hours a day, despite a Constitutional Court ruling that such work cannot exceed 10 hours. Some 90% are not being paid for overtime, 86 % receive less than minimum wage, and more than half are being discriminated at work, the ENS reports.

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Source: Christoffer Frendesen/Colombia Reports

Story Type: News

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