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Germany: The second EU member State to ratify the Domestic Workers Convention

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by IDWFED published Sep 20, 2013 12:00 AM
Germany is the 10th ILO member State and the second EU member State to ratify the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) which seeks to improve the working and living conditions of an estimated 50 million domestic workers worldwide.

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GERMANY -

On 20 September 2013, the Government of Germany deposited with the International Labour Office the instrument of ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189). Germany is the 10th ILO member State and the second EU member State to ratify this instrument which seeks to improve the working and living conditions of an estimated 50 million domestic workers worldwide. In Germany, the Federal Statistical Office estimates that some 700,000 persons are employed as domestic workers.

In transmitting the instrument of ratification, Mr Wolfgang Scholz, Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations, stated: "At the time Convention No. 189 was being discussed at the International Labour Conference in 2011, Chancellor Merkel happened to be on an official visit to the ILO – the first ever visit of a German Chancellor to the ILO – and called the new instrument “a milestone on the way to fair and just employment”. Two years later, the Government of Germany becomes party to this Convention and commits itself to work for the improvement of the employment and working conditions of domestic workers along the principles and rules set forth in the Convention.”

In receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 189 by Germany, the Director of the International Labour Standards Department, Ms Doumbia-Henry, stated: “Convention No. 189 entered into force earlier this month. Germany’s ratification is a strong signal of the current momentum and growing expectations generated by this international instrument for the protection of the world’s domestic workers. Domestic work has not been sufficiently valued and domestic workers have been left in vulnerable situation for too long. There lies the significance of this Convention that aims at establishing an international floor of minimum labour protection for those workers. The hope is now that many more ILO Member States will follow the example of Germany and will join forces in this global effort to secure decent work for domestic workers.”

Read the news in Spanish:
Alemania ratifica el Convenio sobre las trabajadoras y los trabajadores domésticos.

Read the news in French:
L’Allemagne ratifie la Convention sur les travailleuses et travailleurs domestiques.

Source: ILO

Story Type: News

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