Statement for International Domestic Workers Day
Today, as we commemorate the first anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention 189 (C189) on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, we call on ILO Member States to immediately ratify and implement C189 as a demonstration of their global commitment made at the 100th Session of the International Labour Conference on 16 June 2011.
Ratifying C189 is important, urgent and a priority! Wide ratifications of C189 would benefit an estimated 100 million domestic workers around the world who for long have been unrecognized, neglected, and forgotten.
We commend Uruguay for being the first country to ratify C189. We are optimistic that this step forward will encourage the rest of the world to follow in particular the Philippines which also committed to be among the first countries to ratify the Convention.
We call on States, employers, recruiters, civil society, religious groups, and the general public to become instruments of change and reinvent their views on domestic work. Specifically, we raise our call to the following:
• Governments to ratify C189 and follow through on their ethical and legal obligations to end to both local and migrant domestic workers the same rights as those of other workers.
•Governments are urged to provide an enabling environment that will facilitate respect for rights, provide ample protection and promote holistic development of domestic workers.
• Governments to include domestic workers in national labour laws and enact provisions that address the specific needs and concerns of domestic workers especially child domestic workers and migrant domestic workers.
• Governments to repeal policies that disproportionately discriminate and criminalize domestic workers and effectively enforce existing policies that seek to promote the rights and welfare of domestic workers.
• Governments, employers and the general public to recognize the contribution of domestic and
workers to the development of societies where they work and treat them with respect dignity.
• Recruiters to stop the exploitation of migrant domestic workers through collection of exorbitant recruitment fees which lead domestic workers into forced labor and debt bondage.
•Trade unions and labour rights advocates to show their concrete support by assisting domestic workers to exercise their right to association and to join or form a trade union
•For trade unions to expand solidarity with migrant domestic workers across borders.
•Religious groups to take an active role in promoting public consciousness with respect to the culture of inequalities and stereotypes that work against domestic workers particularly women domestic workers.
• Religious groups to continue with their role of providing refuge and comfort for domestic workers who have been exploited and abused.
•Domestic workers to organize, speak for themselves and mobilize support for the ratification and implementation of C189.
Domestic Work is Work! Domestic Workers are Workers! Domestic Work is Not Slavery!
Ratify C189!
16 June 2012
Signed by:
ACTFORM- Sri Lanka
AFL-CIO
Ain O Salish Kendro (ASK)- Bangladesh
Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)– Philippines
Association for Community Development - Bangladesh
Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines- Migrants Center- Philippines
ATIKHA- Philippines
Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies-Bangladesh
Cambodia Legal Education Center (CLEC) - Cambodia
Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC)- Lebanon
Center for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS)- India
Center for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS) – Nepal
Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) – Philippines
Coalition for Migrants Rights (CMR)- Hongkong
Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (FSPMI)- Indonesia
Federation of Free Wokers (FFW)– Philippines
German Commission for Justice and Peace- Germany
Global Network- Asia
Helpers for Domestic Helpers (HDH)- Hongkong
Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) - Hongkong
Hope Workers Center (HWC)- Taiwan
Hsinchu Migrants and Immigrants Services Center (HMISC)
Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Economics (HOME)- Singapore
Institute of Social Development (ISD) - Sri Lanka
International Domestic Workers Network (IDWN)
JALA PRT- Indonesia
KAKAMMPI- Philippines
Kanlungan Centre Foundation- Philippines
Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI)-Indonesia
Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) - Philippines
Labour Education Foundation (LEF) - Pakistan
Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW)- Cambodia
Migrant Care- Indonesia
Migrant Forum in Asia
Migrant Forum India - India
POURAKHI- Nepal
Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC)-Nepal
Self Employed Workers Association (SEWA-Academy) – India
Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia (SBMI)- Indonesia
Solidarity Center
Sr. Immaculate De Alwis, ACTFORM- Sri Lanka
SUMAPI- Philippines
Transient Workers Count Too- Singapore
Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc.- Philippines
Visayan Forum Foundation Incorporated - Philippines
WARBE Development Foundation – Bangladesh
Youth Action Nepal (YOAC) - Nepal
