Why we need Justice for Domestic Workers!

Campaign

This June in Geneva the Conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will discuss a proposal for a Convention protecting the rights of Domestic Workers employed in private households. 75 national governments will be supporting the proposal, but the UK is amongst the minority of 15 governments calling for a recommendation rather than a convention.

The UK Government states that domestic workers employed in this country have an inferred right to protection under existing employment laws and therefore do not need the Protection of an International Convention. This is far from the case, domestic workers are in fact specifically excluded from the Health and Safety at Work Act.

A recent survey conducted by Unite and Justice for Domestic Workers (J4DW) highlights the fact that the majority of domestic workers in the UK are in fact being consistently denied their basic employment rights.
58% have no contract of employment
50% do not receive itemised payslips
76% work regularly more than 48 hours per week
8% have no days off at all
25% have no annual paid holidays
43% receive no sick pay
Many are also subject to regular physical and verbal abuse, often have no private sleeping quarters and in many cases have their passports and documents taken from them by their employer.

Domestic Workers care for children and the elderly. They take care of the maintenance and security of some of the best homes in the country. They help build families and enable many skilled and professional people to go out to work. In doing so they are a vital part of the economy.

Yet this description of how one domestic worker was treated by her employer is unfortunately common place for many domestic workers.

"I worked in a beautiful house, but behind closed doors I worked from 6am to 4am. Are two hours of sleep enough for one human being? If I made a mistake mu employer would poke me in the eyes. If I cried, she would tell me that the police would come for me."

You can help by writing to your MP and expressing your concern about the plight of Domestic Workers in the UK, and demanding that the UK Government signs the ILO convention.

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