Latest Updates
Spain: Only 13% of domestic workers take refuge in the new regime of the Social Security
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 26, 2015 03:01 PMOf the 700,000 domestic workers who are living in Spain according to the Survey of Active Population EPA, and of the 300,000 affiliates to the Social Security, 90,000 only go to the General Regime approved in the pensions reform.
USA: Speak Out for the Rights of Domestic Workers in California
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 01:51 PMWith the event “Speak Out for the Rights of Domestic Workers” on 1st April, 2012, the organizers congregated not only domestic workers but also religious leaders, communitarians and activists, the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) informed.
Lebanon: An animated story of four Ethiopian domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 01:46 PMIn her feature film «Beirut», Rahel Zegeye, young domestic worker, tells the animated story of four Ethiopian domestic workers. An exceptional initiative in a country where the rights of migrant workers are too often spurned.
Paraguay: Ministry for Justice and Work raises law project that grants major protection to domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 06:08 PMWith 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.
Latin American & Caribbean: 6th CONLACTRAHO Congress and Regional Seminar
— by IDWFED — last modified May 03, 2016 06:22 PMThe secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Domestic Workers (CONLACTRAHO) has the honor to invite to participate in the “6th Congress and Regional Seminar”, which will be carried out from the 1 to the 5 of May 2012 in Mexico.
Latin America: International Domestic Workers' Day - Re-launching the C189 Campaign
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 07, 2015 04:34 PMThis year, domestic workers in Latin America, jointly with trade unions and other allies re-launched the C189 campaign to press governments to ratify the Convention as soon as possible to protect rights of domestic workers.
Mexico: Decent Work for Female Domestic Workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 07, 2015 04:44 PMThe Institute for Women of Mexico City (Inmujeres-DF) reiterates its support in the scope of its capacity for the ratification of Convention 189 and Recommendation 201 by the International Labor Organization (ILO), instruments which establish internationally the labor standards for a decent work in the sector of domestic work.
UAE: New draft suggests stiff penalties on sponsors of domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 02:20 PMThe official said the ministry will deal sternly with the sponsor or any other person who violates the terms of contract of a domestic worker.
Hong Kong: Court Overturns Ruling on Domestic Workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 06:39 PMA Hong Kong court on Wednesday overturned a ruling from last year that would have allowed foreign-born domestic workers to apply for permanent residency, the latest decision in a closely watched case.
Saudi Arabia: Kusuma Nandina, Sri Lankan Domestic Worker, Worked 17 Years Without Pay
— by IDWFED — last modified Jan 11, 2016 01:33 PMalamy A Sri Lankan woman who worked as a domestic worker for a Saudi Arabian family for 17 years without pay has received $19,000 in compensation for her labor, Arabian Business reports.
Peru: Convention 189 will be ratified during the present legislature
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 05:37 PMConcerning the domestic workers who demand the urgent ratification of Convention 189 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) on the rights of domestic workers, it seems that they will finally see a part of their yearnings fulfilled, before the commitment assumed by the Commission of Work of the Congress to pick up the exigency.
Argentina: Registration of Domestic Workers is taking place in Jujeña
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 07, 2015 03:53 PMFrom the 3 to the 7 of April a campaign for the recording of domestic work will be carried out in the Jujuy capital, as in the rest of the country, one of the activities with greater incidence in the black labor market of the province. It will be operative for the awareness and information for both the employers and the employees. The announcement was realized by the delegate of the Ministry of Work in Jujuy, Carlos Guarini, in company of the regional delegate, José Hugo Ceriani.
Peru: 20% employed women are paid domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 02:30 PMIn the center of Lima an informative fair was realized to celebrate the international domestic workers' day the 30 of March. With a musical frame, informative chats, psychological and legal direction, in Alameda Chabuca Granda the “5th Great Fair of Rights for Domestic Workers” took place.
Peru: Union of Domestic Workers in Arequipa, demanded for protection of domestic workers rights
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 02:25 PMIn the city live between 2,000 and 2,500 people dedicated to domestic work, which in their majority receive low pays and abuses on the part of the employers, the Secretary General of the Domestic Workers' Union of Arequipa, Marleny Robles Lazo, informed.
Peru: National Union of Domestic Workers, the SINTRAHOGARP, demanded ratification of C189 at the Forum for Labor Rights
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 02:00 PMSunday 25 of March, the National Union of Domestic Workers - Sintrahogarp, constituted by more than 5,000 women all over the country, realized the fifth Fair-Forum for their labor rights in Lima, which started in the morning at 10 and went on until 6 in the afternoon.
Lebanon: Stop Abuse of Domestic Workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 08:51 PMInvestigate Recent Suicide; Enact Labor, Immigration Protections – Press release of Human Rights Watch
Nicaragua: It is necessary that domestic workers are organized in unions, according to the Labour Minister
— by IDWFED — last modified Nov 30, 2015 02:57 PMWith the aim of informing on their labor rights and elevating the employability level, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Work organized a Forum directed to the women workers of the remunerated domestic sector.
Hong Kong: Domestic workers' urgent call to ratify C189
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 09:39 PMRepresentatives from domestic workers unions and groups met Mr. Noel Eugene Eusebio M. Servigon, Consul General of the Philippines in Hong Kong, on 22 March 2012.
Singapore: To have mandatory day off for domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 24, 2015 01:48 PMTransient Workers Count Too (TWC2) welcomes the announcement by the Ministry of Manpower requiring a weekly rest day for foreign domestic workers (FDW). TWC2 has been advocating this ever since they started in 2003 and is pleased that this significant move forward is now being taken. Over the years, they have taken every opportunity to highlight the issue and to raise pro-day off arguments in meetings, consultations and the media.
Burkina Faso: Public meeting to highlight the rights of domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 09:25 PMOn March 17, the IUF women’s committee and the national coordination of IUF affiliates of which the Domestic Workers’ Union SYNEMAG is part, organized a public meeting in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso to inform about C189 and incite the government to ratify it. Representatives of the ministry of the public sector, of the National Assembly, as well as of the national social security institution attended the meeting together with trade unions and national centers.
Global: International Domestic Workers Network Launches Film on Convention 189
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 09:17 PMC189: Conventional Wisdom
Global: 48.3% migrant workers are women, facing increased vulnerability and discrimination
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 07, 2015 04:09 PMCaritas International denounces in a recent report, «The Female Face of Immigration», the difficult life conditions for the 104 million migrant women worldwide (a 48.3% of the total). The ultimate goal of the study is to draw attention on the specific needs of those who are forced to leave their countries in general, and to emphasize the women's situation which is even more burdening than the one of the men.
Dominican Republic: Special Training Centre in Domestic Services (CEFESD) opened on March 12
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 08:41 PMThe first Special Training Center in Domestic Services (CEFESD) has been inaugurated, with the aim to enable, to form and to spread the duties and labor rights to employers, employees and especially to the domestic workers.
UK: A step back into Victorian-era slavery for UK domestic workers
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 24, 2015 01:43 PMTying the visas of domestic workers to one employer means they will not be able to flee ill treatment for fear of being deported
South Africa: A Reflection on the Ratification Process by Myrtle Witbooi
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 24, 2015 01:52 PMWe have had several meetings in South Africa with our labour caucus, including our Portfolio Committee on Labour, Minister of Labour and some of our political parties. They all support that the Government must ratify convention 189. We all were so exited we could not wait.
Global: Three unionists shared their experiences on domestic workers activities & campains for ratification of ILO instruments
— by IDWFED — last modified Jan 11, 2016 01:42 PMSince the adoption in june 2011 of the the Convention 189 (C 189)and the Recommendation 201 (R 201)for domestic workers by government , worker and employer delegates of the ILO, ,Unions in collaborration with ILO-Bureau for Workers Activities (ACTRAV) have many activities for the promotition of these two ILO instruments at the state and regional levels .In the following interwiew, three unionists shared their experiences about this issue. ACTRAV INFO met with Ms. Marieke Koning, Equality Officer at International trade union confederation (ITUC), Ms. Barbro Budin, Gender & Equality Officer and Trade Union Development Officer at International union federation (IUF) and Elizabeth Tang, International Coordinator at International Domestic Workers’ Network (IDWN).
Ireland: Migrant Domestic Workers Call on Government to Ratify ILO Convention
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 24, 2015 06:05 PMHundreds of migrant women employed as domestic workers in Ireland are demanding their dignity on International Women’s Day.
Antigua and Barbuda: Union calls on government to ratify convention 189
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 24, 2015 02:27 PMOn the occasion of International Women's day commemorated today, a trade unionist here has called on government to ratify the ILO Convention 189, which speaks to decent work and domestic workers.
Asia: Urgent Action to urge the Government of the Philippines to ratify C189 within the next 3 months
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 23, 2015 09:52 PMOn March 8, representatives from IDWN, Global Network-Asia, Migrant Forum Asia (MFA) and Amnesty International in Manila, met with the Department of Labor and Employment of the Philippines.
Bolivia: Federation of Domestic Workers of Bolivia calls for immediate ratification of C189
— by IDWFED — last modified Dec 07, 2015 03:48 PMAlmost 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.