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Bolivia: Federation of Domestic Workers of Bolivia calls for immediate ratification of C189

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by IDWFED published Mar 08, 2012 12:00 AM
Contributors: Lucía Sauma/La Razón
Almost one year after its adoption, this convention has not been ratified yet by Bolivia nor by any other country, in spite of having received 396 votes in favor, among them, the one of Bolivia. This norm establishes that millions of domestic workers will be able to have the same basic rights as other workers, including reasonable working hours, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit to payments in species, clear information on the terms and the conditions of the employment, as well as the respect to the principles and fundamental labor rights, including those of union freedom and collective negotiation.

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BOLIVIA -

Who washed the clothes? Who made the soup? Who cleaned up the table? Who tightened the beds? Who wiped the floor? Invisible hands of invisible women realize these workings which is not considered as work. One hundred million people in the world, 14 million in Latin America and 137,000 in Bolivia are domestic workers. 85% are women. These are data of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the National Institute of Statistics (INE). In order to advance these people, the 16 of June 2011 the ILO adopted Convention 189: “Decent Work for Domestic Workers”.

Almost one year after its adoption, this convention has not been ratified yet by Bolivia nor by any other country, in spite of having received 396 votes in favor, among them, the one of Bolivia. This norm establishes that millions of domestic workers will be able to have the same basic rights as other workers, including reasonable working hours, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit to payments in species, clear information on the terms and the conditions of the employment, as well as the respect to the principles and fundamental labor rights, including those of union freedom and collective negotiation.

In its introduction, Convention 189 indicates that “domestic work continues being undervalued and invisible and is mainly realized by women and children, of whom many are migrants or part of underpriviledged communities, and who are particularly vulnerable to the discrimination with respect to the conditions of employment and work, as well as to other abuses of human rights”.

When asking Daniela Quenta, Executive Secretary of the Bolivian Federation of Domestic Workers, which importance the ratification of Convention 189 has, while already having a law (Number 2450) in Bolivia that regulates the domestic work, she responded quickly and allowedly: “If the agreement is ratified, the migrants will benefit from it, many, very many have been gone to work in Spain, the USA, Argentina, Chile… they will benefit from it. For those working in Bolivia, the majority comes from the countryside, we are also migrants, for us it is like changing from one country to another”.

Bolivia must ratify Convention 189 to be consequent with the defense of the rights of 100 million people worldwide, who are hoping that at least two countries dare to do it, putting the fundamental rights of domestic workers into force. With these instruments it will be clear that domestic workers are neither servants nor family members. They are decent workers who perform a decent work.

Read this article in Spanish.

 

Source: Lucía Sauma/La Razón

Story Type: News

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