Occupational Groups
Domestic Workers
Decent Work for Domestic Workers. International Labour Conference, 1-17 June 2010
The historic first discussion on Decent Work for Domestic Workers took place at the 99th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC)
A second discussion will follow in 2011, where we anticipate that an ILO Convention supplemented by a Recommendation will be adopted.
Resources
Report 1V(1), Decent work for domestic workers
This report is a first step in the process towards an ILO Convention on Domestic work. The report is meant to facilitate preparation and discussion at the ILC 2010. It is accompanied by a questionnaire to be completed by the governments in member states in consultation with the most representative union and employers organisations. Domestic workers need to make their voices heard by working with trade union federations on the questions.
The ILO has produced a Powerpoint presentation which summarises the Report (pdf format).
June 2009 - International Domestic Workers’ Network Consolidated
Representatives of domestic workers’ organizations from around the world participated in this year’s International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva in June 2009, to prepare themselves for the negotiations on an international instrument for domestic workers in 2010 and 2011. During this same period the network Steering Committee was able to consolidate the structure that was established in September 2008, elect its office bearers and agree on a name for the network.
Read press release about the ICC events, by Ida Le Blanc, General Secretary of the National Union of Domestic Employees, Trinidad and Tobago
Domestic Workers build an international network and campaign for an International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on Domestic Work
The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers (IUF), a WIEGO member, established a network to promote domestic workers’ rights. See www.domesticworkerrights.org.
One major task of the IUF network is to mobilise support, and campaign for an ILO Convention on Domestic Work. In March 2008 the Governing Body of the ILO agreed to put “Decent Work for Domestic Workers” on the agenda of the 2010 International Labour Conference (ILC) with a view to adopting an ILO instrument (convention and/or recommendation) in 2011.
An important first task is to make sure that national trade union centres in as many countries as possible support the idea of a domestic work convention and, in collaboration with domestic worker organizations and other allies, make their voices heard at the ILO.
Domestic Workers’ International Conference Report
IRENE and IUF, 2008, Respect and Rights: Protection for Domestic/Household Workers! Report on the international conference held in Amsterdam, 8-10 November 2006
This final report of the International Conference, Protection for Domestic Workers, held in Amsterdam, November 2006 is now on the web site www.domesticworkerrights.org
The report is rich in information and resources about domestic/household workers and about their organization across the world. It is available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Domestic Worker Network Steering Committee formed
On 29-30 September 2008 the IUF convened a meeting in Geneva of representatives from domestic workers’ organizations. At the meeting a Steering Committee was formed composed of representatives of domestic worker trade unions, regional networks and other member based organizations from Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Latin America and North America. WIEGO was present at the meeting and will continue to play a “technical” support role to the network. The meeting also made plans to take forward the campaign for an ILO Convention on Domestic Work.
Domestic Workers: Events toward an ILO Convention
Committee for Asian Women (CAW) and HomeNet Thailand
26-27 August 2008
Bangkok, Thailand
Regional Conference on Domestic Workers: “Domestic Workers are Workers: Decent Work for All”
The focus of the conference was on planning for a campaign under the slogan “Domestic workers are workers”, including contributing to international and national processes towards a standard-setting for domestic workers in the ILC in June 2010 and 2011.
Asia Domestic Workers Network (ADWN)
First General Assembly
28-29 August 2008
Bangkok, Thailand
3rd International Workshop on Domestic Work (IWDW) on the occasion of the People’s Global Action on Migration.
26 October 2008
Manila, Philippines
85 participants from 15 countries joined the workshop. They discussed plans and strategies for an international campaign on the recognition of domestic work as work and on advocacy for an ILO convention on domestic work. The “respect and rights” network and the IUF were represented by Ms Vicky Kanyoka from CHODAWU (union organizing domestic workers, hotel workers etc) Tanzania and a member of the network Steering Committee.
Case Studies
Human Rights Watch. 2006. Swept Under the Rug: Abuses Against Domestic Workers Throughout the World. Human Rights Watch. Vol. 17, No. 7C. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Mather, Celia. 2006. "Out of the Shadows." International Union Rights, Vol. 13, Issue 1.
Chen, Martha Alter, Joann Vanek, Francie Lund, James Heintz with Christine Bonner and Renana Jhabvala. 2005. "Close Up: Occupational Groups." In The Progress of the World's Women: Women, Work and Poverty. New York: UNIFEM.
Gothoskar, Sujata. 2005. New Initiatives in Organizing Strategy in the Informal Economy: Case Study of Domestic Workers Organizing in India. Bangkok: Committee for Asian Women.
Paper - Appendicies and References - Summary Document
Hertz, Tom. 2004. Have Minimum Wages Benefited South Africa’s Domestic Service Workers? Forum paper for African Development and Povery Reduction: The Macro-Micro Linkage. Department of Economics, American University.