MAP Foundation for the Health and Knowledge of Ethnic Labour

No human being is illegal

16thJune2011 MAPFoundation:PressRelease MigrantDomesticWorkersCelebrateNewsoftheILOConventiononDecentWorkforDomesticWorkers. BurmesedomesticworkersarecelebratinginChiangMaionhearingthatadraftConventiononDecentWorkfor DomesticWorkershasbeenadoptedatthe100thSessionoftheILOConference.SaidHsengMoon,adomestic worker who has been working in Thailand for nearly ten years, Well, I know that Ive been working for many years,butnoweverybodyknowsthatitwaswork!Andhopefullythatmeanswe,domesticworkers,willgetsome respectnow. The draft Convention includes setting standards for working and living conditions, and guaranteeing domestic workerstherighttocollectivebargaining.IfThailandadjustsitslawstocomplywiththisConventionitwillmakea huge difference to the lives of domestic workers who currently face daily exploitation and abuse at work. The following stories were told to MAP Foundation as we collected information for our upcoming report Stepping intotheLight. I started work as a domestic worker as soon as I arrived in Chiang Mai. My employer did not allow me to sit duringworkinghoursandforcedmetoworkallthetime.TheworstpartisIhadnotimetogotothetoiletandifI triedtheemployershoutedatmethroughthedoor.AlthoughIworked12hoursperday,shepaidmeverylittle andIhadnoholiday.FinallyIcouldntwithstandtheconditionsanylongersoIleft. Ma Myo, another domestic worker, experienced similar exploitation in Phang NgaI had difficulty in communicating with my employer because of the language barrier. I had to help in the kitchen, cleaning the 3 storyhouseupanddownforthewholeday.Ihadtowakeupat5:00aminthemorningandworkforthewhole dayuntil9:00pmatnight.ThenIalsohadtomassagetheemployereverynightandwenttobedafter10:00pm.I gotonly2500Bahtformymonthlysalary.Iworkedthereforoveroneyear.Theyalsodeducted500Bahtoutof mysalaryformyworkpermit.Icouldn'tbeartheburdenanylonger,soIleftthehouse. AllILOConventionsaresaidtoprotectallworkersincludingmigrants,butthisone,hasalsoaddedaspecialclause toguaranteethisprotectioncallingonmemberstocooperatewitheachothertoensuretheeffectiveapplication of the provision of the convention for migrant domestic workers. Also of particular importance to migrant domestic workers is Article 9 which calls on members to ensure that domestic workers are entitled to keep possessionoftheirtravelandidentitydocuments.(ReportIV(2B)DecentWorkforDomesticWorkers,ILO100th Session2011). Domestic workers in Thailand will be watching carefully to see how the Royal Thai Government plans to move forward and will be offering their assistance to help make a reality Article 8 which calls on members to take measurestoensurethatdomesticworkersenjoyeffectiveprotectionagainstallformsofabuse,harassmentand violence. A protection sadly lacking today and desperately needed to prevent situations like these from happeninginthefuture: One young migrant domestic worker was employed in a luxurious apartment in Bangkok by a Thai man. Six domesticworkershadalreadyrunawayfromhisemployment.Theman,paralysedfromthewaistdown,madehis assistantrapeherwhilehewatched.Healsomadetheassistantbeather,spitonherface,urinateonher,and

 pushher.Duringtheworkingday,shewasonlyallowedtocrawlonherkneesandwasforcedtodosountilher kneeswereswollen. In June 2010 with assistance from local organisations she managed to escape. Another young woman told SteppingintotheLightofherexperienceinPhangNga IcameouttoThailandwithmyhusbandandworkedasadomesticworkerinahousehold.Iworkedinthehouse without receiving any break while the gardener had the opportunity to take a rest from timetotime. The employersaidthehouseworkwasnotsodifficultorhardastorequirerest.Iwasgiven67USD(2000THB)formy salarywhilethegardenerreceived83USD(2500THB).Onedaytheemployersexuallyharassedme,soItoldmy husbandandleftthejob. MAPFoundationtogetherwiththenetworkofdomesticworkerscongratulatestheRoyalThaiGovernmentand allmembersoftheILOonrealisinganimportant,groundbreakingpieceofinternationallegislationwhichhasthe potential to bring an end to the exploitation and abuse that domestic workers have faced for so long. We sincerelyhopethattheRoyalThaiGovernmentwillmovequicklytomakethenecessarychangestothenational laws and policies to protect local and migrant domestic workers in Thailand. We also hope that the Royal Thai Governmentwilldedicatetimeandresourcestoraisingawarenessamongdomesticworkersandtheemployers ofdomesticworkersaboutthelabourrightsandprotectionsguaranteedintheILOConventiononDecentWork forDomesticWorkers. Formoreinformation,contact

JackiePollock: 0860904118 NaruedeeJanthasing: 0897588717 RujisaSanwee: 0869219139 OrganisationContactDetails: MapFoundation 63/30UmongSoi4Moo8 A.MoungChiangmai 50200THAILAND Tel/Fax:6653811202 Email:map@mapfoundationcm.org Website:http://www.mapfoundationcm.org/

63/30 Umong Soi 4 Moo 8 A.Moung Chiangmai 50200 THAILAND Tel/Fax: 66 53 811 202 Email: map@mapfoundationcm.org 63/30 4 8 . . 50200 /: 053 811 202 Email: map@mapfoundationcm.org P.O. Box 7 Chiangmai University A.moung Chiangmai 50200 THAILAND Tel/Fax: 66 53 811 202 Email: map@mapfoundationcm.org . 7 . . 50200 /: 053 811 202 Email: map@mapfoundationcm.org