Paraguay: Ministry for Justice and Work raises law project that grants major protection to domestic workers
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PARAGUAY -
With the aim of valorizing the domestic work and eradicating the unfavorable discriminatory practices in this sector, the Ministry of Justice and Work (MJT) raises a series of adjustments to be considered within the legislation. The law proposal includes the control of the fulfillment of labor laws in the domestic sector, the health insurance, the retirement, days of rest and an increase of the base of the wage until 60% of the effective minimum pay.
The law project of domestic workers, agreed by the MJT and the Joint Program Opportunities, was handed over by the Vice-Ministry of Work and Social Security to the Minister of Justice and Work, Humberto Blasco, in such a way that once considered he elevates it to the President of the Republic.
Vice-Minister Raul Mongelós is convinced that the law project can be presented officially within this parliamentary period. “We are valorizing the domestic work which for a long time has been absent to the matter of fulfillment to labor standards, the financial control figure is introduced, the fulfillment of the law with respect to the domestic work, something that does not exist in the present code of work. Another important element is the rest, it establishes two rest hours daily, a workday of 8 hours at the most for domestic workers and it establishes also a rest schedule, in case it is without retirement, of 10 hours daily, so that the person can dedicate herself to own tasks, it also establishes the weekly rest of 36 hours, which preferably would be Saturdays and Sundays”, he referred.
Concerning the wage subject, the Vice-Minister of Work emphasized that in the Joint Program Opportunities the minimum wage of the domestic works ist established to be not less than 80% of the existing minimum wage of the country, but explained that according to the labor situation in the cities the Undersecretary of State recommended that the minimum wage for domestic workers is not inferior to 60% of the effective minimum wage. “Also we are implementing the social cover so that the domestic workers are not only incorporated in the IPS (Institute for Social Care) referring to the health but also in the retirement”, he observed.
It seems possible that not only women who carry out remunerated houseworks are considered domestic workers, but also the gardeners, drivers and others.
The regulation establishes two modalities to include the social insurance to this sector, i.e. for those who work 44 hours weekly the insurance is obligatory, whereas those who do not reach the 44 weekly hours can be within the figure of voluntary insurance of independent workers. “We are giving power to the IPS that it regulates; this goes a little related to the Project of IPS which has been presented by the President of the Republic Fernando Lugo on the extension of the health cover and retirement of the domestic workers”, Mongelós indicated and also reiterated on the necessity to create a Ministry of Work, Employment and Social Security for the best control of the fulfillment of the labor laws.
The document handed over to the MJT was reviewed by the Direction of Social Promotion of the Woman Worker and the Main Directorate of Social Security of the Vice-Ministry of Work and Social Security.
Read the article in Spanish.
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