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Status of domestic workers to improve
By NADINE WILSON All Woman writer
Monday, September 12, 2011
WITH the recently passed convention on domestic workers currently under review and a national employment policy now being pursued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Marlene Malahoo-Forte believes the status of domestic workers will be further improved in the coming months.
Malahoo-Forte, who was one of the presenters at a two-day regional meeting to look at domestic workers at the interface of migration and development at the Jamaica Conference Centre last week, said the national employment policy is to be completed in 2013, following national consultations.
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo- Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week’s two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo- Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week’s two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
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Jamaica was among several countries around the world which, in June of this year, adopted the historic set of International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.
"The new ILO standards stipulate 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," said Malahoo-Forte.
These include, she said, "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 of fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining".
According to director of policy and research at the Bureau of Women's Affairs, Jennifer Williams, many domestic workers continue to experience various forms of exploitation.
"Many women find themselves in low-paying jobs which lack status, are undervalued and often go unrecognised. It is for this and others reasons that legislation, policies, plans, and programmes are necessary to ensure that persons who contribute in such a significant way are not disenfranchised," Williams told delegates attending the conference.
She said in an attempt to improve their status, some of these women migrate from either rural to urban areas or from one country to the next, thereby increasing their level of exposure to exploitation.
"Some of these opportunities could lead to the main forms of human trafficking in the Caribbean such as forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude," she said.
Global migration advisor for UN Women Dr Jean D'Cunha believes some of these women are exploited because the profession is poorly regulated for the most part.
"It is privatised, it is isolated, it is informed by women and it carries the low work value of unpaid work and it is considered a labour of love requiring no special skills," she said.
"We need to regulate the sector and protect workers because they are an integral part of the workforce," said Dr D'Cunha. "By regulating the sector; by protecting workers, hopefully we would be contributing to the reduction of undocumented work and undocumented movement or a reduction in trafficking."
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo-Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week's two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
By NADINE WILSON All Woman writer
Monday, September 12, 2011
WITH the recently passed convention on domestic workers currently under review and a national employment policy now being pursued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Marlene Malahoo-Forte believes the status of domestic workers will be further improved in the coming months.
Malahoo-Forte, who was one of the presenters at a two-day regional meeting to look at domestic workers at the interface of migration and development at the Jamaica Conference Centre last week, said the national employment policy is to be completed in 2013, following national consultations.
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo- Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week’s two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo- Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week’s two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)#slideshowtoggler, #slideshowtoggler a, #slideshowtoggler img { filter: none ! important; }
1/1 Jamaica was among several countries around the world which, in June of this year, adopted the historic set of International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards aimed at improving the working conditions of tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide.
"The new ILO standards stipulate 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," said Malahoo-Forte.
These include, she said, "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 of fundamental principles and rights at work, including freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining".
According to director of policy and research at the Bureau of Women's Affairs, Jennifer Williams, many domestic workers continue to experience various forms of exploitation.
"Many women find themselves in low-paying jobs which lack status, are undervalued and often go unrecognised. It is for this and others reasons that legislation, policies, plans, and programmes are necessary to ensure that persons who contribute in such a significant way are not disenfranchised," Williams told delegates attending the conference.
She said in an attempt to improve their status, some of these women migrate from either rural to urban areas or from one country to the next, thereby increasing their level of exposure to exploitation.
"Some of these opportunities could lead to the main forms of human trafficking in the Caribbean such as forced labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude," she said.
Global migration advisor for UN Women Dr Jean D'Cunha believes some of these women are exploited because the profession is poorly regulated for the most part.
"It is privatised, it is isolated, it is informed by women and it carries the low work value of unpaid work and it is considered a labour of love requiring no special skills," she said.
"We need to regulate the sector and protect workers because they are an integral part of the workforce," said Dr D'Cunha. "By regulating the sector; by protecting workers, hopefully we would be contributing to the reduction of undocumented work and undocumented movement or a reduction in trafficking."
State minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Marlene Malahoo-Forte (left) greets Barbados Minister of Labour Esther Byer-Suckoo during last week's two-day conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)