Philippines hails landmark maids treaty

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines, which sends out tens of thousands of maids to work abroad every year, on Friday hailed a landmark International Labour Organisation treaty giving protection to domestic workers.

President Benigno Aquino III’s government had been one of the main proponents, foreign department spokesman Ed Malaya told AFP.

“Domestic household workers are among those most vulnerable to abuse and other risks. Having minimum standards to be observed by governments will undoubtedly lead to improvements in their situation,” Malaya said.

The Geneva-based ILO passed the treaty giving protection to an estimated 52.6 million domestic workers across the world on Thursday, with the Philippines and Uruguay having already said they would ratify the accord.

The new convention would ensure domestic workers enjoyed conditions “not less favourable” than other workers, and require governments to ensure they understood their rights, preferably through written contracts.

The document also offers domestic workers a full rest day every week, and prevents them being compelled to remain with an employer’s household during their annual leave or rest days.

About 71,000 Filipinos left to work as domestic helpers abroad in 2009, according to the latest labour department data available, including more than 69,000 women.

More than 100,000 of them work at any one time in the prosperous Chinese territory of Hong Kong alone.

Garry Martinez, head of Manila-based labour rights monitor Migrante (Migrant), said the group expects the treaty to have a huge impact on Filipina maids’ working conditions.

“They are the most vulnerable, they work long hours, and earn less than other overseas Filipino workers,” he told AFP.

He said the most common complaints documented were of Filipina maids who left their jobs over alleged physical abuse, long working hours, sexual harassment and attempted or actual rapes.

There are an estimated nine million Filipinos working and living abroad, according to official statistics, and their remittances have traditionally kept the Philippine economy afloat.