June 16th was International Domestic Workers Day
There are over 20 million domestic workers in the Asia Pacific region alone - that's equivalent to Sri Lanka's population - but because these workers are often hidden in private homes - workplaces that remain unregulated - they are especially vulnerable to abuse. In many countries, domestic workers aren't protected by the general labour laws, and are excluded from receiving the minimum wage. On average, domestic workers earn less than half of average wages; some earn less than a fifth. Despite the risks, domestic work is a fast-growing sector. There are 19 million more domestic workers today than there were in the mid-1990s - that's a 30 percent increase in less than 20 years. Over 80 percent of these workers are women.
The International Labour Organisation recently estimated that over $8bn is illicitedly acquired each year from not paying or underpaying domestic workers in forced labour by lining the pockets of fraudulent recruitment companies and exploitative employers.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/06/domestic-workers-silent-no-more-201461673219838306.html
There are over 20 million domestic workers in the Asia Pacific region alone - that's equivalent to Sri Lanka's population - but because these workers are often hidden in private homes - workplaces that remain unregulated - they are especially vulnerable to abuse. In many countries, domestic workers aren't protected by the general labour laws, and are excluded from receiving the minimum wage. On average, domestic workers earn less than half of average wages; some earn less than a fifth. Despite the risks, domestic work is a fast-growing sector. There are 19 million more domestic workers today than there were in the mid-1990s - that's a 30 percent increase in less than 20 years. Over 80 percent of these workers are women.
The International Labour Organisation recently estimated that over $8bn is illicitedly acquired each year from not paying or underpaying domestic workers in forced labour by lining the pockets of fraudulent recruitment companies and exploitative employers.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/06/domestic-workers-silent-no-more-201461673219838306.html
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