Tuesday, November 1, 2011

About 2% of 1,303,126 undocumented migrants legalized - back to work? or legalized and deported???

"...over 2.5 million foreign workers had registered since the operation started on July 13. “Of the number, 1.6 million were legal foreign workers while 900,000 were illegals,” he[Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam] said... - Star, 31/8/2011, No extension to amnesty scheme as ministry prepares for next phase
'...second phase of the 6P programme to legalise the illegal foreign workers in the country would be undertaken for a three-month period, Home Ministry secretary general Tan Sri Mahmood Adam said here....The 6P programme entails registration, legalising, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation of illegal immigrants and a total of 2,320,034 legal and illegal workers have registered under first phase which ended on Aug 31.Of those registered, 1,303,126 were illegals while the remaining 1,016,908 were legal workers....' - Star, 10/9/2011, Second phase of amnesty programme will last 3 months

Legal foreign workers and illegal immigrants who paid exorbitant fees for registration under the 6P amnesty and legalisation programme can file a case under the consumer tribunal to get back the excess money they had paid....The Government has fixed RM35 as maximum rate for registration of illegal immigrants through 348 appointed managing companies, while the maximum service charge for legalisation is RM300.- Star, 2/9/2011, Foreign workers who paid extra under amnesty can file case
*** They also can lodge complaints with the police and other government bodies - even SUHAKAM


PUTRAJAYA: The legalisation and amnesty process under the 6P programme for illegal foreign workers will be carried out simultaneously to enable those wishing to return to their countries to do so immediately.

The amnesty process involved two categories those who had participated in the registration process and wished to leave the country and those who had surrendered voluntarily.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said under the process, the illegals could directly deal with the Immigration Department to obtain the Exit Inspection Memo without any action being taken against them.

“As of Monday, a total of 25,561 illegal immigrants had been granted amnesty and had left the country.

“Among the five countries that registered the most number of the illegals, who had been granted amnesty and had left, were Indonesia with 15,901 immigrants, followed by India (2,501), Nepal (1,048), Myanmar (1,040) and Vietnam (930),” he said in a statement yesterday.

The 6P programme comprises registration, legalisation, amnesty, supervision, enforcement and deportation.

Hishammuddin said they had been screened and were found free of any criminal record.

“They have returned home with all costs fully borne by themselves,” he said, adding that the Government had not allocated any money to finance costs including food and temporary lodging.

Hishammuddin added that under the programme, the Government saved about RM3.3bil in gross expenditure to register 1,303,126 illegal immigrants, which ended on Aug 31.

He said the Government had instead managed to increase collection from fees charged for the levy, pass and visa imposed on foreign workers who were legalised.

He said that as of Sunday, 27,514 illegal immigrants had been legalised involving 2,208 employers. - Star, 2/11/2011, 25,500 illegals have left the country under amnesty, says Hishammuddin

Bid to free 9 migrant workers from Burma detained by Immigration (Malay Mail, 31/10/2011)

Bid to free workers

Nine from Myanmar wrongfully held by Immigration, says NGO 
 
Meena Lakshana
Monday, October 31st, 2011 11:29:00Malay Mail, 31/10/2011, Bid to free workers

PETALING JAYA: Nine Myanmar factory workers have been wrongfully detained by the Immigration Department since Oct 4, representatives of a non-profit organisation (NGO) said yesterday.

Burma Campaign Malaysia director Tun Tun said the workers were detained after failing to provide their work permits or visa documents to officers from the Shah Alam Immigration office who went to their apartment in Section 6, Kota Damansara, where they were staying.

"The officers went to the apartment at 1am after a complaint about noise was lodged against the workers by their neighbours," he told The Malay Mail.

Tun Tun claimed the outsourcing company that recruited the workers were in the midst of preparing the documents.

He said the workers had arrived in Malaysia in June.

He also said the workers' employer was holding their passports.

Tun Tun said the workers were being held at the KL International Airport (KLIA) Immigration detention centre in Sepang.

"They paid US$850 (RM2,604) each to come to Malaysia to work and were made to believe their documents would be ready on their arrival," he said.

He said the outsourcing company had shortchanged the workers as their documents were still not prepared.

"Every time we call them to ask about it, they would give us different answers," he said.

Tun Tun said Burma Campaign Malaysia was working with the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) for their release.

MTUC industrial relations director Peter Kandiah said officers from the Immigration Department should conduct thorough investigations before detaining foreign workers without proper documentation.

"Why weren't the outsourcing company's staff remanded?" he asked.

"I'm upset with the Immigration Department for the manner they are handling the matter."

Kandiah said the department had yet to answer his queries on the reasons for detaining the Myanmar workers.

"I've been trying to contact them since last Thursday but to no avail," he said.

"I was given the runaround when I visited the Immigration Department office. I even left my contact details but no one got back to me."

Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said he needed to check the details of the case before commenting. - Malay Mail, 31/10/2011, Bid to free workers

Friday, October 28, 2011

107 Groups: Malaysia Must Protect Worker and Union Rights, and withdraw proposed unjust amendments to Employment Act - Labour Suppliers Should Not Be Employers (28/10/2011)

Media Statement – 28/10/2011 (107 Groups)

Malaysia Must Protect Worker and Union Rights, and withdraw
proposed unjust amendments to Employment Act
- Labour Suppliers Should Not Be Employers -

We, the undersigned 107 organizations, groups and networks are disturbed that the Malaysian government has proceeded to table, and get it passed speedily on 6/10/2011 at the Dewan Rakyat (House of Representative) the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2011 despite protests from workers, trade unions and civil society. The proposed changes to the Employment Act would be most detrimental to worker rights, trade unions and the existing just direct 2-party employment relationship between worker and end-user (the principal). Malaysia’s action goes contrary to justice. In many countries employers have been wrongly trying to avoid/disguise employment relationships by way of contracts/agreements and triangular relationships, and Malaysia rather than fighting against this negative trend is now trying to legalize it, hence showing itself to be anti-worker anti-unions. 


We note also that the amendments would result in discrimination at the workplace, as many workers at a factory, plantation or any workplace would end up being no longer employees of the owner-operator of the said workplace, also referred to as the principal or end-user, but would remain employees of the supplier of workers, known as ‘contractor for labour’. Workers doing the same work at the factory, would be treated differently in terms of wages, work benefits and even rights by reason of the fact that their employers are different. This will also go against the Malaysian Federal Constitution that guarantees equality of persons. We advocate that all workers working at a factory or workplace are entitled to be treated equally in terms of wages, work benefits, rights, union rights, reliance on collective agreements and other entitlements.

The proposed amendment would also destroy direct employment relationships between owner-operator of workplaces, being the principal, and the workers that work there producing the product or providing the services from which these principals derive their profits. A just employment relationship dictates that all workers should be employees of the owner-operator employer not some other third party labour supplier, whether they be known as ‘contractor for labour’, outsourcing agent or by any other name. The relationship must be a direct relationship, to the exclusion of all third parties, between the employer who needs workers to do the work to produce the goods of their business for profits, and the workers directly who provide the necessary labour as required in exchange for fair wages and other benefits. The availability of short-term employment contracts is another reason why there is no need to legalize triangular or other employment relationships in Malaysia through the creation of the ‘contractor for labour’.


To fight for decent wages and rights, and to be able to negotiate and get better working conditions and other work benefits, workers at a workplace would generally come together collectively or as a union to be able to negotiate from a stronger position with employers, and this would result in agreements or ‘collective agreements’ between employers and workers (or their unions). If the amendments proposed become law, then many workers at the factory would effectively lose their rights to be able to form or be members of the trade union at the workplace, or the right to directly and effectively negotiate with the principal  who effectively controls the work place, working conditions and benefits.


If the proposed amendment becomes law, effectively it will also weaken existing workers and unions, by reducing their negotiating power for now when a strike or a protest in called, there will be other workers of other third party employers who will continue to work normally thus making worker struggle for better rights almost impossible. This proposed amendment is a ‘union busting’ exercises and allows employers to utilize ‘divide and rule’ tactics to counter legitimate demands of their workers and avoid employer obligations and responsibilities. Another unjustifiable proposed changed is the delay of payment of overtime and work on rest days by a month.


With regard to sexual harassment, the new provision provides only for inquiry by employer even when the alleged perpetrator is a member of the management, a partner, shareholder and/or director of the employer’s business, and provides no clear right of appeal to the Labour Courts or the High Court. Note that other worker rights violations are currently all dealt with by the definitely more independent Labour Department or Industrial Relations Department. Remedy for the victim of sexual harassment is also absent, save maybe the right to resign without the need to give the required notice when the perpetrator is a sole proprietor.


The Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC), which represents over 800,000 workers of member unions, who is also is the accepted workers representative in Malaysia, picketed calling for the withdrawal of the amendments on 3/10/2011, and apparently despite the Minister assuring them that the amendment will only be tabled at the end of the month, was suddenly rushed and passed at the Lower House of Malaysia’s Parliament on 6/10/2011.


Malaysia has the Private Employment Agencies Act 1971, whereby these agencies rightfully get workers for employers, who then pay them a fee for the service, and once workers are received by the employer, these workers immediately become employees of the said employer. The amendments will creates a new kind of labour supply companies who will continue as employers of the workers even after they start working at the workplace of the principal, and this is unacceptable. All companies in the business of finding workers for companies that need workers to produce their products or for their business must be private employment agencies, and must never assume or retain the role of employers.


As the said Bill still needs to be passed by the Senate and receive royal assent, before it becomes law, we call on the Malaysian government to act in the best interest of workers and their unions and immediately withdraw this unjust proposed amendments to Employment Act 1955.


We call on Malaysia to immediately discontinue its policy of recognizing outsourcing agents, and act immediately against practices of some employers and outsourcing agents that try to avoid/disguise employment relationships to the detriment of workers and unions.


We call on countries and regional bodies, companies, ILO, trade unions and persons to do the needful to ensure that worker and union rights, not just of local but also migrant workers, are protected in Malaysia, and that the employment relationship continue to be between owner-operator end user employers who actually need workers to do work and the workers that work there to the exclusion of any third party labour suppliers or ‘contractors for labour’.



Charles Hector
Pranom Somwong
For and on behalf of the 107 Organisations listed below:-

Abra Migrant Workers Welfare Association - Hong Kong (AMWWA)
Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society - Hong Kong (ATIS-HK)
ALIRAN, Malaysia
All Women's Action Society (AWAM), Malaysia
Asian Migrants Center (AMC), Hong Kong
Asia Monitor Resource Centre (AMRC), Hong Kong
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
Asian Migrants' Coordinating Body - Hong Kong (AMCB)
Association for Community Development-ACD, Bangladesh
Association of Concerned Filipinos in Hong Kong (ACFIL-HK)
Association of Indonesia Migrant Workers in Indonesia (ATKI-Indonesia)
Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU)
BAYAN Hong Kong
Building and Wood Worker's International (BWI) Asia Pacific
Burma Campaign, Malaysia
Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC)
Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)
Center for Indonesian Migrant Workers (CIMW)
Center for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR)
Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC)
Coordination of Action Research on Aids and Mobility (CARAM-ASIA)
Committee for Asian Women (CAW)
Community Action Network (CAN), Malaysia
Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA), Hyderabad, India
Cordillera Alliance Hong Kong (CORALL-HK)
Democratic Party For A New Society (DPNS), Burma
Dignity International, Malaysia
Education and Research Association for Consumers Malaysia (ERA Consumer Malaysia)
Filipino Friends Hong Kong (FFHK)
Filipino Migrants Association - Hong Kong (FMA)
Filipino Migrant Workers' Union - Hong Kong (FMWU)
Filipino Women Migrant Workers Association - Hong Kong (FILWOM-HK)
Foundation for Women, Thailand
Friends of Bethune House (FBH), Hong Kong
GABRIELA Hong Kong
GABRIELA Philippines
Good Shepherd Sisters, Malaysia
Health Equity Initiatives (HEI), Malaysia
Housing Rights Task Force, Cambodia
Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB)
Human Security Alliance (HSA)
International Metalworkers' Federation (IMF)
IMA Research Foundation, Bangladesh
INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development )
Institute for National and Democratic Studies (INDIES)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Indonesia
JERIT, Malaysia
Karmojibi Nari , Bangladesh
Kalyanamitra, Indonesia
Kav La'Oved , Israel
Kilusang Mayo Uno Labor Center
Komite Independen Pemantau Pemilu (Independent Committee for Election Monitoring), Indonesia
Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW), Cambodia
LLG Cultural Development Centre, Malaysia
Malaysians Against Death Penalty and Torture (MADPET)
Malaysian Election Observers Network (MEO-Net)
MakeItfair
MAP Foundation, Thailand
Maquila Solidarity Network, Canada
May 1st Coalition for Worker & Immigrant Rights, NY-USA
Migrant CARE, Indonesia
Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA)
Migrant Trade Union, Korea (MTU)
Migrante International
National Alliance of Women Human Rights Defenders, Nepal
Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia (NAMM)
National League For Democracy (Liberated Area )[ NLD(LA)], Malaysia
Pakistan Rural Workers Social Welfare Organization (PRWSWO)
Peduli Buruh Migran, Indonesia
Penang Watch, Malaysia
People's Green Coalition
Pergerakan Indonesia
Perkumpulan PRAXIS, Indonesia
Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti, Selangor (EMPOWER)
Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor & Wilayah Persekutuan (PERMAS)
Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
Pinatud a Saleng ti Umili (PSU)
Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia
QuĂȘ Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
Sedane Labour Resource Center/(Lembaga Informasi Perburuhan Sedane), Indonesia
Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia (SBMI)
Shan Women Action Network (SWAN), Thailand
Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Solidaritas Perempuan (Women's Solidarity for Human Rights), Indonesia
SOS(Save Ourselves), Malaysia
Suaram, Malaysia
Tenaganita, Malaysia
Thai Committee for Refugees Foundation (TCR)
The Filipino Women's Organization in Quebec, Canada
The GoodElectronics Network
Think Centre (Singapore)
UNIMIG (Union Migrant Indonesia)
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-MIGRANTE-HK)
United Pangasinan in Hong Kong (UPHK)
Urban Community Mission (UCM Jakarta), Indonesia
Vietnam Committee on Human Rights
WARBE Development Foundation, Bangladesh
Women Forum for Women, Nepal
Women Legal BUREAU, Philippines
WOREC, Nepal
Workers Assistance Center, Inc (WAC), Philippines
Workers Hub For Change (WH4C)
Yasanti
Yayasan LINTAS NUSA (Batam Indonesia)

Monday, October 10, 2011

Burmese - the biggest group of asylum seekers in Malaysia

It is estimated that there may be about 600,000 undocumented migrants from Burma in Malaysia, and today it has been disclosed in Malaysian Parliament that Burmese are the largest number of asylum seekers in Malaysia...


KUALA LUMPUR: Myanmar nationals are the largest number of asylum seekers in Malaysia, the Dewan Rakyat was told Monday.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said until Aug, 7,582 of the total 10,850 asylum seekers were Myanmar nationals.

Statistics by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur showed there were 94,843 'persons of concern' where 83,993 were refugees and 10,850 were asylum seekers.

"Of the total, 67,145 were men and 27,698 women with Mynamar nationals the majority with 7,582 asylum seekers," he said in a written reply to Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) here.

Lim asked about the number of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia and laws that guarantee their welfare and safety while in detention.

Nazri said although Malaysia did not sign any agreement on refugees, no illegal immigrants holding UNHCR cards had been arrested on humanitarian grounds.

Malaysia is not signatory to United Nations Convention Relating to The Status of Refugees 1951 and Protocol Relating to The Status of Refugees 1967.

"Malaysia has allowed the refugees to stay here temporarily until they are relocated to a third country," he said.

However, since Malaysia did not sign any agreement on refugees, the government could not guarantee their welfare and safety. - Bernama- Star, 10/10/2011, Myanmar nationals top asylum seekers’ list

Thursday, September 29, 2011

MTUC threatens picket 0n 3rd October ...

MTUC threatens picket 0n 3rd October ...

The said amendments, first tabled in 2010 waswithdrawn after much protest including from MTUC, and then it was re-tabled with substantially the same amendments this year - it is currently fixed for 2nd and 3rd reading..

The danger of this amendment is that it introduces 'contractor for labour' - a 3rd party that will , unlike Private Employment Agencies, will continue to remain employers of the workers that they supply to the principal. Hence, we will no more have a direct employer-worker employment relationship. We will now have Employer - contractor for labour- worker relationship, and the worker will continue to be employees of these 'contractors for labour' even after the worker is supplied to the factory/plantation. 

Of course, the unions in the factories/plantations will be weakened - for there will be other workers who are there in the factory, who will not be able to be part of the union... and how many of these not directly employed workers,,,it could be a small percentage or maybe even the majority..

And, this will also lead to discrimination at the workplace for not all workers will be treated the same with regard to wages, benefits and even rights despite the fact that they do the same work.

This amendment reveals again that our BN government is really not for the good and welfare of workers and trade unions... All this is done not just to benefit employers, i.e. by removing their obligations and duties to their workers. The 3rd party labour suppliers really do not have any actual control or supervision of the workplace and working conditions...

We already have these 'contractors for labour' now known as 'outsourcing companies' - and they are already operating 'illegally' and the government rather than acting have not enforced the law.

Why? Well, to get a permit/license to operate as an 'outsourcing agent' is a gold mine - and guess who are getting the licences/permits... Just like those "APs" ...mmm one wonder. What happens is the factory/company pays the 'outsourcing agent'(the contractor for labour) RM60 for a worker per day normal hours, and they pay the worker RM20 and keeps RM40.. - A Labour Toll, is it not and very profitable indeed.

I was worried about the silence of MTUC - but alas they have now taken a strong stand against this propose amendment...

What say the Opposition political parties - let us hope that preparations for the next General Elections may not distract them from taking the correct position regarding these proposed amendments - are they pro-workers pro-unions or just like the BN pro-employer...pro-'outsourcing agents'..

Well, to be fair some companies/employers prefer to have a direct employment relationship with all their workers - and their complaint is that this option has been made difficult especially for migrant workers, and they are 'pushed' towards getting workers from these 'outsourcing agents'..

 

MTUC warns Oct 3 picket if Putrajaya tables labour law reforms

September 26, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) has vowed to stage a protest outside Parliament when it starts sitting on October 3 if Putrajaya proceeds with its plan to amend current labour laws.

MTUC secretary-general Abdul Halim Mansor pointed out that Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam had recently given his assurance that the amendment Bill would not be tabled in the House without prior discussion with the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC).

The NLAC comprises representatives from the government, employers and employees.

He told The Malaysian Insider that the decision was reached during MTUC’s general council meeting yesterday.

“If the government really goes ahead with debates on any labour law Bill, especially the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010, MTUC will picket outside Parliament on the first day of the sitting,” he said.
Parliament will reconvene this October 3 and go on until December. The coming session is scheduled to focus on debates for Budget 2012 but several Bills are also expected to be tabled. 

Halim said the MTUC general council has directed its secretariat to contact the ministry and find out if the amendment Bills would be brought to Parliament next month.

“If so, then it violates the minister’s guarantee to MTUC before this. If the Bills are read, MTUC will not hesitate to picket... we want the government to hold a discussion before any amendments are tabled,” he said.

The second reading of the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2010 has been postponed twice before this.
Trade union representatives and opposition politicians had decried the proposed amendments, claiming they were drawn up at the behest of multinational corporations and potential investors and deliberately designed to empower employers to employ workers on fixed-term contract for as long as they please.

The MTUC had also highlighted the fact that once the amendments are passed, “employers would be permitted to impose unreasonable working hours, change weekly rest days as they please”, in effect requiring women workers to work at night.

Last October, the ministry withdrew the Bill from the second reading to incorporate several changes and add further amendments but has reportedly refused to furnish further details.

At the time, Dr Subramaniam denied the withdrawal was tied to plans by Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to picket at seven different locations to protest the amendments.

The Bill was first tabled on July 8 last year and touched on provisions involving sexual harassment at the workplace and the welfare of housekeepers.

It is believed that the laws that are scheduled to be amended include the Employment Act 1955, Industrial Relations Act 1967 and the Trade Union Act 1959.- Malaysian Insider, 26/9/2011, MTUC warns Oct 3 picket if Putrajaya tables labour law reforms

Thursday, June 16, 2011

ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work For Domestic Workers (No. 189)


100th ILO annual Conference decides to bring an estimated 53 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide under the realm of labour standards


The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.



Press release | June 16, 2011

GENEVA, (ILO News) – The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide...

...Conference delegates adopted the Convention on Domestic Workers (2011) by a vote of 396 to 16, with 63 abstentions and the accompanying Recommendation by a vote of 434 to 8, with 42 abstentions. The ILO is the only tripartite organization of the UN, and each of its 183 Member States is represented by two government delegates, and one employer and one worker delegate, with an independent vote.

The two standards will be the 189th Convention and the supplementing 201st Recommendation adopted by the Labour Organization since its creation in 1919...(full text of press release below) 
CONVENTION CONCERNING DECENT WORK FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its 100th Session on 1 June 2011, and

Mindful of the commitment of the International Labour Organization to promote decent work for all through the achievement of the goals of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization, and

Recognizing the significant contribution of domestic workers to the global economy, which includes increasing paid job opportunities for women and men workers with family responsibilities, greater scope for caring for ageing populations, children and persons with a disability, and substantial income transfers within and between countries, and

Considering that domestic work continues to be undervalued and invisible and is mainly carried out by women and girls, many of whom are migrants or members of disadvantaged communities and who are particularly vulnerable to discrimination in respect of conditions of employment and of work, and to other abuses of human rights, and

Considering also that in developing countries with historically scarce opportunities for formal employment, domestic workers constitute a significant proportion of the national workforce and remain among the most marginalized, and

Recalling that international labour Conventions and Recommendations apply to all workers, including domestic workers, unless otherwise provided, and

Noting the particular relevance for domestic workers of the Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143), the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention, 1981 (No. 156), the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), and the Employment Relationship Recommendation, 2006 (No. 198), as well as of the ILO Multilateral Framework on Labour Migration: Non-binding principles and guidelines for a rights-based approach to labour migration (2006), and

Recognizing the special conditions under which domestic work is carried out that make it desirable to supplement the general standards with standards specific to domestic workers so as to enable them to enjoy their rights fully, and

Recalling other relevant international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, and in particular its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and its Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, and

Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals concerning decent work for domestic workers, which is the fourth item on the agenda of the session, and

Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of an international Convention;

adopts this sixteenth day of June of the year two thousand and eleven the following Convention, which may be cited as the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011.

Article 1
For the purpose of this Convention:
(a) the term “domestic work” means work performed in or for a household or households;
(b) the term “domestic worker” means any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship;
(c) a person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis is not a domestic worker.

Article 2
1. The Convention applies to all domestic workers.

2. A Member which ratifies this Convention may, after consulting with the most representative organizations of employers and workers and, where they exist, with organizations representative of domestic workers and those representative of employers of domestic workers, exclude wholly or partly from its scope:
(a) categories of workers who are otherwise provided with at least equivalent protection;
(b) limited categories of workers in respect of which special problems of a substantial nature arise.

3. Each Member which avails itself of the possibility afforded in the preceding paragraph shall, in its first report on the application of the Convention under article 22 of the Constitution of the International Labour Organisation, indicate any particular category of workers thus excluded and the reasons for such exclusion and, in subsequent reports, specify any measures that may have been taken with a view to extending the application of the Convention to the workers concerned.

Article 3
1. Each Member shall take measures to ensure the effective promotion and protection of the human rights of all domestic workers, as set out in this Convention.

2. Each Member shall, in relation to domestic workers, take the measures set out in this Convention to respect, promote and realize the fundamental principles and rights at work, namely:
(a) freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
(b) the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;
(c) the effective abolition of child labour; and
(d) the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

3. In taking measures to ensure that domestic workers and employers of domestic workers enjoy freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, Members shall protect the right of domestic workers and employers of domestic workers to establish and, subject to the rules of the organization concerned, to join organizations, federations and confederations of their own choosing.

Article 4
1. Each Member shall set a minimum age for domestic workers consistent with the provisions of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), and not lower than that established by national laws and regulations for workers generally.

2. Each Member shall take measures to ensure that work performed by domestic workers who are under the age of 18 and above the minimum age of employment does not deprive them of compulsory education, or interfere with opportunities to participate in further education or vocational training.

Article 5
Each Member shall take measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy effective protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence.

Article 6
Each Member shall take measures to ensure that domestic workers, like workers generally, enjoy fair terms of employment as well as decent working conditions and, if they reside in the household, decent living conditions that respect their privacy.

Article 7
Each Member shall take measures to ensure that domestic workers are informed of their terms and conditions of employment in an appropriate, verifiable and easily understandable manner and preferably, where possible, through written contracts in accordance with national laws, regulations or collective agreements, in particular:
(a) the name and address of the employer and of the worker;
(b) the address of the usual workplace or workplaces;
(c) the starting date and, where the contract is for a specified period of time, its duration;
(d) the type of work to be performed;
(e) the remuneration, method of calculation and periodicity of payments;
(f) the normal hours of work;
(g) paid annual leave, and daily and weekly rest periods;
(h) the provision of food and accommodation, if applicable;
(i) the period of probation or trial period, if applicable;
(j) the terms of repatriation, if applicable; and
(k) terms and conditions relating to the termination of employment, including any period of notice by either the domestic worker or the employer.

Article 8
1. National laws and regulations shall require that migrant domestic workers who are recruited in one country for domestic work in another receive a written job offer, or contract of employment that is enforceable in the country in which the work is to be performed, addressing the terms and conditions of employment referred to in Article 7, prior to crossing national borders for the purpose of taking up the domestic work to which the offer or contract applies.

2. The preceding paragraph shall not apply to workers who enjoy freedom of movement for the purpose of employment under bilateral, regional or multilateral agreements, or within the framework of regional economic integration areas.

3. Members shall take measures to cooperate with each other to ensure the effective application of the provisions of this Convention to migrant domestic workers.

4. Each Member shall specify, by means of laws, regulations or other measures, the conditions under which migrant domestic workers are entitled to repatriation on the expiry or termination of the employment contract for which they were recruited.

Article 9
Each Member shall take measures to ensure that domestic workers:
(a) are free to reach agreement with their employer or potential employer on whether to reside in the household;
(b) who reside in the household are not obliged to remain in the household or with household members during periods of daily and weekly rest or annual leave; and
(c) are entitled to keep in their possession their travel and identity documents.

Article 10
1. Each Member shall take measures towards ensuring equal treatment between domestic workers and workers generally in relation to normal hours of work, overtime compensation, periods of daily and weekly rest and paid annual leave in accordance with national laws, regulations or collective agreements, taking into account the special characteristics of domestic work.

2. Weekly rest shall be at least 24 consecutive hours.

3. Periods during which domestic workers are not free to dispose of their time as they please and remain at the disposal of the household in order to respond to possible calls shall be regarded as hours of work to the extent determined by national laws, regulations or collective agreements, or any other means consistent with national practice.

Article 11
Each Member shall take measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy minimum wage coverage, where such coverage exists, and that remuneration is established without discrimination based on sex.

Article 12
1. Domestic workers shall be paid directly in cash at regular intervals at least once a month. Unless provided for by national laws, regulations or collective agreements, payment may be made by bank transfer, bank cheque, postal cheque, money order or other lawful means of monetary payment, with the consent of the worker concerned.

2. National laws, regulations, collective agreements or arbitration awards may provide for the payment of a limited proportion of the remuneration of domestic workers in the form of payments in kind that are not less favourable than those generally applicable to other categories of workers, provided that measures are taken to ensure that such payments in kind are agreed to by the worker, are for the personal use and benefit of the worker, and that the monetary value attributed to them is fair and reasonable.

Article 13
1. Every domestic worker has the right to a safe and healthy working environment. Each Member shall take, in accordance with national laws, regulations and practice, effective measures, with due regard for the specific characteristics of domestic work, to ensure the occupational safety and health of domestic workers.

2. The measures referred to in the preceding paragraph may be applied progressively, in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers and, where they exist, with organizations representative of domestic workers and those representative of employers of domestic workers.

Article 14
1. Each Member shall take appropriate measures, in accordance with national laws and regulations and with due regard for the specific characteristics of domestic work, to ensure that domestic workers enjoy conditions that are not less favourable than those applicable to workers generally in respect of social security protection, including with respect to maternity.

2. The measures referred to in the preceding paragraph may be applied progressively, in consultation with the most representative organizations of employers and workers and, where they exist, with organizations representative of domestic workers and those representative of employers of domestic workers.

Article 15
1. To effectively protect domestic workers, including migrant domestic workers, recruited or placed by private employment agencies, against abusive practices, each Member shall:
(a) determine the conditions governing the operation of private employment agencies recruiting or placing domestic workers, in accordance with national laws, regulations and practice;
(b) ensure that adequate machinery and procedures exist for the investigation of complaints, alleged abuses and fraudulent practices concerning the activities of private employment agencies in relation to domestic workers;
(c) adopt all necessary and appropriate measures, within its jurisdiction and, where appropriate, in collaboration with other Members, to provide adequate protection for and prevent abuses of domestic workers recruited or placed in its territory by private employment agencies. These shall include laws or regulations that specify the respective obligations of the private employment agency and the household towards the domestic worker and provide for penalties, including prohibition of those private employment agencies that engage in fraudulent practices and abuses;
(d) consider, where domestic workers are recruited in one country for work in another, concluding bilateral, regional or multilateral agreements to prevent abuses and fraudulent practices in recruitment, placement and employment; and
(e) take measures to ensure that fees charged by private employment agencies are not deducted from the remuneration of domestic workers.

2. In giving effect to each of the provisions of this Article, each Member shall consult with the most representative organizations of employers and workers and, where they exist, with organizations representative of domestic workers and those representative of employers of domestic workers.

Article 16
Each Member shall take measures to ensure, in accordance with national laws, regulations and practice, that all domestic workers, either by themselves or through a representative, have effective access to courts, tribunals or other dispute resolution mechanisms under conditions that are not less favourable than those available to workers generally.

Article 17
1. Each Member shall establish effective and accessible complaint mechanisms and means of ensuring compliance with national laws and regulations for the protection of domestic workers.

2. Each Member shall develop and implement measures for labour inspection, enforcement and penalties with due regard for the special characteristics of domestic work, in accordance with national laws and regulations.

3. In so far as compatible with national laws and regulations, such measures shall specify the conditions under which access to household premises may be granted, having due respect for privacy.

Article 18
Each Member shall implement the provisions of this Convention, in consultation with the most representative employers’ and workers’ organizations, through laws and regulations, as well as through collective agreements or additional measures consistent with national practice, by extending or adapting existing measures to cover domestic workers or by developing specific measures for them, as appropriate.

Article 19
This Convention does not affect more favourable provisions applicable to domestic workers under other international labour Conventions.

Article 20
The formal ratifications of this Convention shall be communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration.

Article 21
1. This Convention shall be binding only upon those Members of the International Labour Organization whose ratifications have been registered with the Director-General of the International Labour Office.

2. It shall come into force twelve months after the date on which the ratifications of two Members have been registered with the Director-General.

3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into force for any Member twelve months after the date on which its ratification is registered.

Article 22
1. A Member which has ratified this Convention may denounce it after the expiration of ten years from the date on which the Convention first comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one year after the date on which it is registered.

2. Each Member which has ratified this Convention and which does not, within the year following the expiration of the period of ten years mentioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation provided for in this Article, will be bound for another period of ten years and, thereafter, may denounce this Convention within the first year of each new period of ten years under the terms provided for in this Article.

Article 23
1. The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall notify all Members of the International Labour Organization of the registration of all ratifications and denunciations that have been communicated by the Members of the Organization.

2. When notifying the Members of the Organization of the registration of the second ratification that has been communicated, the Director-General shall draw the attention of the Members of the Organization to the date upon which the Convention will come into force.

Article 24
The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall communicate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for registration in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations full particulars of all ratifications and denunciations that have been registered.

Article 25
At such times as it may consider necessary, the Governing Body of the International Labour Office shall present to the General Conference a report on the working of this Convention and shall examine the desirability of placing on the agenda of the Conference the question of its revision in whole or in part.

Article 26
1. Should the Conference adopt a new Convention revising this Convention, then, unless the new Convention otherwise provides:
(a) the ratification by a Member of the new revising Convention shall ipso jure involve the immediate denunciation of this Convention,notwithstanding the provisions of Article 22, if and when the new revising Convention shall have come into force;
(b) as from the date when the new revising Convention comes into force, this Convention shall cease to be open to ratification by the Members.

2. This Convention shall in any case remain in force in its actual form and content for those Members which have ratified it but have not ratified the revising Convention.

Article 27
The English and French versions of the text of this Convention are equally authoritative.

Source: ILO Website
 
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Press release | June 16, 2011 
GENEVA, (ILO News) – The government, worker and employer delegates at the 100th annual Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) on Thursday, 16 June adopted a historic set of international standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.

“We are moving the standards system of the ILO into the informal economy for the first time, and this is a breakthrough of great significance,” said Juan Somavia, ILO Director-General. “History is being made.”

Conference delegates adopted the Convention on Domestic Workers (2011) by a vote of 396 to 16, with 63 abstentions and the accompanying Recommendation by a vote of 434 to 8, with 42 abstentions. The ILO is the only tripartite organization of the UN, and each of its 183 Member States is represented by two government delegates, and one employer and one worker delegate, with an independent vote.

The two standards will be the 189th Convention and the supplementing 201st Recommendation adopted by the Labour Organization since its creation in 1919. The Convention is an international treaty that is binding on Member States that ratify it, while the Recommendation provides more detailed guidance on how to apply the Convention.

The new ILO standards set out that domestic workers around the world who care for families and households, must have the same basic labour rights as those available to other workers: reasonable hours of work, weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours, a limit on in-kind payment, clear information on terms and conditions of employment, as well as respect for fundamental principles and rights at work including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.

Recent ILO estimates based on national surveys and/or censuses of 117 countries, place the number of domestic workers at around 53 million. However, experts say that due to the fact that this kind of work is often hidden and unregistered, the total number of domestic workers could be as high as 100 million. In developing countries, they make up at least 4 to 12 per cent of wage employment. Around 83 per cent of these workers are women or girls and many are migrant workers.

The Convention defines domestic work as work performed in or for a household or households. While the new instruments cover all domestic workers, they provide for special measures to protect those workers who, because of their young age or nationality or live-in status, may be exposed to additional risks relative to their peers, among others.

According to ILO proceedings, the new Convention will come into force after two countries have ratified it.

“Bringing the domestic workers into the fold of our values is a strong move, for them and for all workers who aspire to decent work, but it also has strong implications for migration and of course for gender equality,” Mr. Somavia said.

In its introductory text, the new Convention says that “domestic work continues to be undervalued and invisible and is mainly carried out by women and girls, many of whom are migrants or members of disadvantaged communities and who are particularly vulnerable to discrimination in respect of conditions of employment and work, and to other abuses of human rights.”

Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, in her address to the Conference Committee, said that the deficit of decent work among domestic workers “can no longer be tolerated,” adding that UN Women would support the process of ratification and application of the new ILO instruments.

“We need effective and binding standards to provide decent work to our domestic workers, a clear framework to guide governments, employers and workers,” said Halimah Yacob, the Workers Vice-Chair from Singapore. She noted that the collective responsibility was to provide domestic workers with what they lacked most: recognition as workers; and respect and dignity as human beings.

Paul MacKay from New Zealand, the Employers Vice-Chair declared: “We all agree on the importance of bringing domestic work into the mainstream and responding to serious human rights concerns. All employers agree there are opportunities to do better by domestic workers and the households and families for whom they work”.

“Social dialogue has found its reflection in the results achieved here,” concluded the Chair of the Committee, Mr. H.L. Cacdac, Government delegate from the Philippines, when he closed the discussion.

“This is a truly major achievement,” said Manuela Tomei, Director of the ILO’s Conditions of Work and Employment Programme, calling the new standards “robust, yet flexible.” Ms. Tomei added that the new standards make clear that “domestic workers are neither servants nor ‘members of the family’, but workers. And after today they can no longer be considered second-class workers.”

The adoption of the new standards is the result of a decision taken in March 2008 by the ILO Governing Body to place the elaboration of an instrument on the agenda of the Conference. In 2010, the Conference held its first discussion and decided to proceed with the drafting of a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation adopted today. -ILO Press Release, 16/6/2011, 100th ILO annual Conference decides to bring an estimated 53 to 100 million domestic workers worldwide under the realm of labour standards