ITUC-CSI-IGB - Equality - News

ETHIOPIA: CETU negotiates a new national policy that focuses on HIV in the workplace

2012-03-26T13:52:00Z

The government has teamed up with Ethiopia' s main employees' and employers' associations to launch a new HIV/AIDS workplace policy that is to be implemented across the nation.

ADDIS ABABA, 26 March 2012 (PlusNews) - The new policy came into force in January 2012 and will be applied across the board in state and private organizations. It is expected to protect job seekers from mandatory HIV tests, while facilitating voluntary counselling and testing and defending the right of employees living with HIV to medical leave or job re-allocation. It also provides guidelines for the establishment of an AIDS fund to help employees cope with living with the virus.

The new policy is in line with the country's goal of halving new HIV infections by 2015. "Where HIV/AIDS hurts the country most is in workplaces, where the productive part of the society -alongside their employers, family and the rest of their community - suffer finically, economically and socially in aftershocks of every new HIV infection," said Solomon Demissie, director of the Harmonious Industrial Relation Directorate at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

"This is why combating HIV in workplaces holds a big stake in our fight. The sector needs a combined and revitalized effort from all concerned actors."

According to a 2009 study, "Managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace" by the NGO, Stop AIDS Now, most NGOs admitted that they did not have the skills to develop an HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

"NGOs do not have concrete knowledge of the costs of developing and implementing a workplace policy, and most respondents worry that all activities for responding to HIV in the workplace have financial implications by increasing overhead costs. Furthermore, they are not sure of the sustainability of such undertakings," the report noted.

Solomon said the ministry had met with all stakeholders to ensure they were on the same page. "Since this a set of new commitments that will demand considerable efforts, including financial obligations from everybody, we had to make sure all are comfortable with it. After a series of discussions, the policy document was endorsed by all actors unanimously."

The new policy brings an agreement with the Ethiopian Employers Federation and The Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions, and is also endorsed by the Ethiopian Privatization and Public Enterprises Supervising Agency, which oversees 53 state organizations.

It stipulates that employers will make the necessary investments to ensure universal precautions in workplaces to protect employees from HIV infection, and are also expected to put in place a post-exposure prophylaxis system for their workforce.

Employers committed to making available personnel and funds to implement the policy in their businesses, and to facilitate employees' access to condoms and treatment for sexually transmitted infections.

"We have been actively working to fight HIV for more than a decade now. At times we were resisted by organizations, including state-run firms that were concerned by the financial ramifications of such commitments," said Tadele Yimer, president of the Ethiopian Employers Federation.

"We made significant progress convincing both investors and government employers to prioritize the HIV agenda and undertake a number of initiatives including... schemes to support marriages and people living with HIV," he added.

"What we hope it [the new policy] will do is bring about an agreed consent and uniform approach among employers to fight HIV/AIDS nationally."

The federation brings to the agreement a commitment by around 700 organizations across a broad range of sectors like transport, construction, hotels, airlines, banks, insurance and others, many with their own trade union.

Officials at the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions - who developed their own workplace HIV policy in 2001 - expressed relief that employers are now on board. "Employees' deaths were on the rise. There was stigma and discrimination at times, forcing employees to leave their jobs... [putting] their families in difficult positions," said Fissehatsion Biyadgelinge, head of the confederation's social affairs department.

"Since the 2001 guideline, which was developed from the national policy with the support of international donors, including Pathfinder International, we have tried to reverse the trend by raising awareness through continued campaigns, and led various efforts to fight HIV/AIDS by encouraging voluntary counselling and testing and fighting for more rights for employees living with HIV/AIDS."

The umbrella organization of over 400 employees' unions and an estimated 400,000 members, says some of its anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns have been failing short because of funding constraints.

"With the new policy of establishing an AIDS fund, employees can contribute a small portion of money and from it we can finance HIV campaigns and cater for employees and families that are affected by HIV," Fissehatsion said.

The AIDS fund will raise a monthly contribution from employees and will also be run with assistance from the organizations' credit and saving associations. Money from the fund will be used for treatment, care and support programmes such as medical checkups and balanced diets, and other social assistance programmes for employees and their families.

"We cannot forever rely on donors," Fissehatsion said. "The ownership has to be ours - the employees."

Check also: Forced Labour: Best Practices
Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions (CETU) discusses its role to in combating human trafficking in Ethiopia (January 2011)
http://www.ituc-csi.org/confederation-of-ethiopian-trade.html?lang=en

Saudi Arabia: King Must End Slavery of Domestic Workers

2012-03-08T10:35:13Z

The international union movement is marking the occasion of International Women's Day by writing to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on behalf 1.5 million women domestic workers calling on him to support laws which give domestic workers the same rights as all other workers.

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation, said domestic workers are excluded from labour legislation in the Saudi Kingdom and open to serious exploitation and abuse. Most workers are migrant woman from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Philippines and India.

“On International Women's Day the International Trade Union movement and the 12 x 12 campaign for domestic workers rights are calling on Saudi Arabia to be the first country to ratify the ILO Convention on domestic workers,” said Sharan Burrow.

Saudi Arabia does not protect the rights of workers to form and join trade unions and to bargain collectively.

The migratory sponsorship system, under which most migrant labour work puts foreign workers at the mercy of their employer or sponsor who hold their passports and process their residence permits.

“Only by protecting the rights of workers in law, can Saudi Arabia put an end to modern day slavery and restore the human dignity of the 1.5 million women domestic workers employed with no rights or voice, ” said Burrow.

The Saudi Kingdom was singled out for abuses of workers in reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International in 2011. These documented cases of employers cutting the ears of domestic workers, burning them with irons and forcing nails and needles into their bodies.
Last year the Gulf Kingdom beheaded the Indonesian domestic worker Ruyati binti Satubi, accused of killing her employers' wife.

Read the letter from ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The letter will also be posted on the websites of unions in over 50 countries.

For any further information, please contact the ITUC press department at: +32 2 224 0204 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +32 2 224 0204 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or +32 476 621 018

Frozen in time: Gender pay gap remains unchanged for 10 years

2012-03-07T08:49:15Z

Asia shows greatest wage difference between men and women
New industry ranking puts domestic workers on largest gender pay gap
Women in unionised sectors are less likely to be discriminated against

A new report from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) reveals that worldwide, women are paid 18% on average less than their male counterparts at work.

The report, “Frozen in time: Gender pay gap unchanged for 10 years” released on the eve of International Women's Day, looks at women's wages in 43 countries, twice the number of previous studies.

“For the last decade we have seen women's wages hitting a road block. The pay gap remains frozen in time almost everywhere. Asia is the continent with the greatest wage differential between men and women with no progress made to close the gap for over a decade,” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation.

For the first time, researchers have ranked industries internationally by analysing the differences in wages in 15 sectors from construction to domestic workers. The report also includes detailed statistics from official sources in 18 countries.

“More unionised sectors such as the public sector tend to have lower pay gaps. Those with low unionisation rates and low wage levels, such as retail, hotels and restaurants as well as agriculture tend to have higher gaps. Part of the problem is that many workers are not paid a decent minimum wage,” said Sharan Burrow.

The report also found:

Male dominated sectors such as construction have the smallest gender pay gaps due to the relatively low numbers of women, and the fact that the women tend to be better educated.

Domestic workers show the lowest level of earning and the largest gender pay gaps.

The highest ‘unexplained gender pay gaps' attributed to discriminatory practices are found in Chile, South Africa and Argentina.

A ‘child penalty' contributes to keeping women's wages low, particularly affecting women aged 30 – 39.

The report is the third study into the gender wage gap by the ITUC, following up on studies in 2008 and 2009.

The report was written by Dutch academics K.G Tijdens and M Van Klaveren and is based on country level wage data from the ILO, Eurostat as well as on individual-level wage data from the multi-country WageIndicator Foundation web survey. While previous ITUC reports show that official figures tend to underestimate the gender pay gap, data collection has improved in recent years, especially through the OECD and the EU.

See the report ‘Frozen in Time: Gender pay gap unchanged for 10 years” can be read here

For any further information, please contact the ITUC press department at: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018

Saudi Arabia bans trade unions and violates all international labour standards

2012-01-25T08:12:45Z

A new report from the International Trade Union Confederation on workers' rights in Saudi Arabia has uncovered alarming levels of child labour, discrimination and forced labour.

The report, due to be delivered to the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) review of the Gulf Kingdom's trade policies on 25th January, found that Saudi Arabia is in violation of all core labour standards.

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the ITUC, said there is not a single trade union in Saudi Arabia, as the law does not allow them to exist.

“Employees are only allowed to organise so-called “workers' committees” which must include the participation of the government and the employer. Unions, collective bargaining, strikes, even public demonstrations are banned.

“Despite the strike ban, some unauthorized strikes do take place, In October last year, 16 Chinese workers were arrested for participating in a strike involving at least 100 Chinese workers in a rail construction project. The strikers demanded a salary increase and improved working and living conditions,” said Sharan Burrow.

The report also found the law also openly discriminates against women, and in many cases women needed permission from their “guardian” in order to be employed. Women who do work earn 84% less than men in similar roles.

However, it is the country's 8.3 million migrant workers, especially the 1.5 million female domestic servants, who bear the brunt of abuses, with many working in slavery like conditions. The maids predominantly come from Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Earlier this month a Nepalese maid was finally released, after being held hostage for 21 months by her Saudi employer. The woman was imprisoned, fed only one slice of bread a day and tortured after she tried to run away.

“Thousands of migrant workers are the victims of torture, work long hours, live in confined conditions and, in general, are deprived of their basic freedoms. The Saudi authorities have repeatedly failed to address the issue and redress extreme abuses which remain unpunished.” said Sharan Burrow.

“Saudi Arabia's wealth and status is built on the backs of workers who face ritual beatings, torture and are denied their basic freedoms. It's time to clean up the Saudi economy and give all workers the right to organise, collectively bargain and strike,” said Sharan Burrow.

The WTO General Council Review of Trade Policies in Saudi Arabia will take place in Geneva 25 and 27 January. The WTO has made commitments to observe internationally core labour standards.

Read the full ITUC report to the WTO Trade Policy review

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Charles Fred

Vietnam's AIDS quagmire

2012-01-12T08:46:29Z

Hai Duong Province is sparsely populated and quietly nestled about two hours southeast of Hanoi.

The energy infused scooter-filled streets of Vietnam's capital long since out of sight, disappearing below the horizon of the rear view mirror, giving way to a two lane highway that cuts through open rice fields scattered with the silhouettes of hunched over workers under the blazing sun. There are no cafes, no bia hoi beer joints, only the occasional restaurant among communities spread far and wide.

On the 25th of each month a group of Hai Duong residents convene for a monthly meeting where snacks and beverages are served for men, women and their children of various ages and walks of life. They come together to share their stories and to provide some comfort for those in need of support. Upon first glance, what links the members is not clear, not evident to the eye. The cause that binds them is unseen, but the reason they meet each month is one that has left many of them ostracized from society, cut off from family and friends. When they come here, they are no longer alone. These club members have one thing in common. Each of them is infected with HIV.

All of them are unique, coming from varied backgrounds, levels of education and work. Their stories of how they were infected are all personal, none of them the same, except for the result. There was a time when some worked in factories, farms and schools, once when some were husbands and wives. Testing positive changed all of that.

Arriving for the monthly meeting, each is treated to a free medical check-up, anti-retroviral medicine, and maybe most importantly, to share a few laughs and feel at ease. Of the reported 280,000 living with the virus in Vietnam, statistics show that only 45 percent receive therapy, making free medical access a necessity.

Members are open to talk about the group and how it has helped them endure life after their infections, especially in a country where HIV/AIDS leaves them viewed as lepers driven from their caste. People who due to their own supposed immoral actions are blamed for disgracing not only themselves but also those closest to them.

Launched in 2001, the HIV group known as the Bright Future Club was created to give those with the virus a refuge, a place where they could find comfort to shield them from the intolerances and discrimination of society. What began with gatherings in a small office in the Kinh Mon district is now based in a home and has grown to become the nation's largest for those with HIV.

Like any association found in Vietnam, the Bright Future Club received official permission to be formed, in its case from women's 955 Union responding to support women and their children. Today, 42 people volunteer their time at the centre. Group events are organized for members along with information and education sessions for the public. Visitors are often treated to dramatic sketches and games, performed to help the community better understand the virus and the people who live with it.

Mr. Củỏng, a tall, lean and well-dressed man in his 40s, happily attests to the club's worth, reflecting on the success it has achieved in 10 years of operation. As the club's leader and an original member, he oversees the day-to-day programs, organizes events, and regularly submits reports to funding officers. What began with 46 members has grown to 116 with an increasingly public face. A reality today that was hard to imagine during the group's infancy.

“The club attracts more people because of the activities,” said Củỏng through an interpreter. “Historically, there has been a lot of discrimination in the community.”

Before leading the group and before discovering he was infected with HIV, Củỏng was a school teacher with a fiancée. He recalls how in 2005 his family pressured him to urge his fiancée to undergo an HIV test. As a foreigner coming from a family with less wealth, there were concerns she may have carried the virus. To appease everyone Củỏng and his future bride were both tested. Only he was positive. His career was over, the wedding called-off. The irony of his story has not left him bitter, but rather makes him smile, as a constant reminder of how indiscriminate the virus is in a country where AIDS is commonly viewed as the affliction of drug addicts and prostitutes.

His story is familiar among those in Vietnam living with the virus. Word of a positive test spreads quickly here, resulting in lost friends, family and jobs. Although it is against the law, companies continue to administer blood tests for job candidates and employees, leaving many shut out of the labour force and blacklisted wherever they go.

To help remedy the problem of unemployed people with HIV, organizations including the Bright Future Club have created work programs that include tasks such as producing charcoal. However, the jobs provide little hope of securing financial stability and leave people with HIV on the outskirts of society.

Having lost his career in education, Củỏng says what was originally created to give people a chance to survive has shifted its focus to prevention, hoping that through education others will avoid infection.

Although the number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Vietnam is relatively low compared to its population of 90 million, what may appear to be a controlled issue to some is deceiving in a country that remains culturally conservative, suffering from stereotypes surrounding AIDS that prevent awareness and treatment. Despite the comparisons to neighbouring countries with much higher rates of infection, Vietnam's numbers are rising, and not just among high-risk groups. The combination of conservative views and a lack of intervention are helping the virus spread among the general population.

Making corporations socially responsible

“The problem with prevention, with workplace programs, is that we don't have champions in Vietnam. We don't have individual corporate managers or companies that will stand-up and do really good things on HIV.”

Patrick Burke doesn't mince his words. For the past 20 years his work has focused solely on HIV prevention in Vietnam, specifically promoting corporate social responsibility (CSR.) The Australian, who calls Hanoi home and speaks the language fluently, agreed to talk about HIV workplace prevention on a Saturday afternoon in-between meetings. His work is non-stop, no matter the day. Devouring his cake he wasted no time getting to the heart of the issue. “The frustration for anybody working in this area is that it would be a lot easier to get a solid response if a few companies had the balls to stand-up and say ‘we'll do something about this.' ”

Burke knows the issue of HIV prevention well. Currently coordinating prevention programs for World Bank-sponsored infrastructure projects, he speaks freely on corporate Vietnam's reluctance to play a prominent role in the health of its workers.

“There is not a single Vietnamese business leader, not a single Vietnamese company that has taken a public stance on [HIV/AIDS],” he says with a disdain that comes from being immersed in the issue for so many years. “It's ironic that Bill Gates is so universally admired in this county and so many people think he's such a great businessman. But I wish they would actually remember that he contributes a very large amount of his own personal wealth to HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB and other diseases as well. Some of these guys who are the owners of these very successful Vietnamese companies, very successful, very wealthy, I just wish they'd take a look at Bill Gates and become more like him.”

The example of The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which to date has contributed more than $600 USD million to the Global AIDS Fund, has not only made the former Microsoft CEO an international social ambassador, but also a shining example of CSR.

“I've worked with companies that have done great work and won't publicize it because they think that their products or services will somehow be associated with HIV/AIDS,” he said, citing one company that despite initiating prevention programs for its more than 3000 workers, it would not distribute condoms simply due to the conservative views of the managing director. A lack of leadership from the top he says “promotes the sorts of behaviours we are trying to prevent.”

Despite looking to people like Gates and former US President Bill Clinton's Clinton Health Access Initiative, efforts to stimulate a better corporate and government level response to HIV prevention in Vietnam have resulted in what Burke describes as “a series of disappointments,” even with the support of international aid money.

Burke's latest challenge, implementing an HIV/AIDS prevention program for a World Bank sponsored infrastructure project, is one he hopes will become an example of how taking initiatives benefits everyone involved.

“It's a bit of a long stretch for some people to think there is a connection to building these infrastructure programs and the spread of HIV,” he said, referring to an earlier road improvement project in the Mekong Delta to illustrate the failure to respond to a situation primed for problems: an all-male workforce living away from home with a large disposable income and easy access to commercial sex and drugs. Making it worse is a lack of condom access, treatment and education. “Many don't even know that testing facilities exist. So the risk factors, if you add them up, are all pretty high.”

Following the Mekong project the community experienced a “spike” in the number of infections. So far his latest prevention program has resulted in no positive tests. A success that he believes will encourage others to follow. “You do good things with the environment, good things in the community, you build schools, and you know HIV is an easy one, provided you're prepared to take a stand on it.”

Despite the progress of international organizations in creating awareness, Vietnamese-initiated actions remain a rarity. “There have been a lot of achievements at the local company level, and I can feel proud of the fact that that I've created quality programs for workers and managers, put many people with HIV into contact with audiences they never would have met,” he says. “But in creating a sustained response where Vietnamese can take the lead, no.”

Sacrificing health for trade benefits

While people like Patrick Burke work to change the perception of HIV and the safety of the workplace, another issue involving government and big business is threatening the very health of those living with the virus.

Negotiations are currently underway for the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), a new international trade pact among nine Pacific Ocean countries. Made up of Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United States, Japan, Mexico and Canada are also looking to join. As the US leads the way to unlimited access to large Asian markets, developing country partners are showing a willingness to agree to concessions for a potential infusion of wealth. Left behind in a bid for trade are the citizens, and specifically those with HIV/AIDS. Such is the case when small countries enter into trade pacts with bigger, more powerful ones.

Once ratified, the controversial TPP is set to deny signatory countries' access to generic anti-retroviral medicines. Developing countries dependent on cheap generic AIDS drugs will be forced to buy expensive, name-brand medicine. The TPP will give large American pharmaceutical companies absolute control over patents, leaving smaller generic companies unable to reproduce easily accessible and affordable medicines for AIDS patients.

Generics have previously been available because patent and copyright laws did not apply to the countries that needed them. The TPP will change that by returning all the bargaining power and patent rights to “big pharma,” setting the stage for drug companies to monopolize the market.

Judit Rius, the US Access Campaign manager for NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), says the TPP “is going to affect US-supported initiatives in Vietnam,” suggesting that increased costs would undermine the efforts of major aid organizations ability to deliver medicines. “It's going to have an effect on all developing countries.” Not only will medicine access become more difficult as prices increase, but because of stricter copyright laws Rius fears that a lack of access to knowledge will delay scientific progress.

So far TPP negotiations have been held behind closed doors with the details of the agreement kept secret. However, a “white paper” released in early September in Chicago shed light on the talks and made it clear that big business, and specifically US firms, would take the priority surrounding access to medicines. The paper cited that stronger intellectual property protection would increase access and innovation of medicines.

Rius says that the measures outlined in the paper would make it difficult for MSF to get medicine to patients early because of the cost. She points to the latest studies that show improved health of HIV carriers if they receive treatment earlier and more aggressively. “We will have to treat more people and we will have to treat them earlier, and that is all threatened if the cost of medication goes up.”

Generic drug companies have long been able to provide lower cost medicines by not having to repeat medical trials needed for initial approval, instead relying on the work of large pharmaceuticals. With the TPP, rather than waiting two years for approval to produce medicine, generics will be forced to wait 5 – 11 years for access to medical trials. The delay will allow large companies to slightly alter patents and find alternative uses for drugs already on the market in order to keep control of the property rights for longer periods.

Opposition to the TPP is being voiced within all the partner countries, including the US where in August 10 members of Congress published an open letter to US trade ambassador Ron Kirk calling for improved access to life-saving medicines. However, criticism of the TPP has done little to slow the talks that are expected to conclude toward the end of 2012.

Local progress pushes ahead

Back in Hai Duong there is little talk of international trade agreements and intellectual property rights. There members of the Bright Future Club focus on their day-to-day health and work to help others avoid their predicament. Despite living through discrimination daily, they know progress has been made.

Củỏng, the club leader, is able to take a moment and reflect on the club's simple and difficult beginnings. He remembers when the health authority provided little support and the club had no clear idea of activities or even a strong purpose. Today that is no longer the case. He says members are now empowered, and that expectations are much higher.

With an increase of financial support, the club has been able to purchase equipment to hopefully fulfill its plans of building a garment workshop and help curb the 92 percent unemployment rate among those with HIV. Change is also happening within communities, which he credits for improving the health of members and has made him optimistic and happier. Because of increased efforts he believes Vietnamese society is more aware and better understands the virus.

“The most important thing is the knowledge among society,” he attests. “We have to change the mentality to make more meaningful lives for those living with HIV.”

A special report from Andrew King

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Long and Queta

Trapped within an Odyssey of Oil Money, Entitlement and Empathy Deficit

2011-12-21T07:00:00Z

The drive through Kuala Lumpur to the modest home where I would leave my bags for four days provided the first glimpse of life in the Malaysian capital. In little time it caught my attention that this city stands out from its regional neighbours.

Having just flown from Bangkok, a city of millions who overflow the sidewalks and pack the streets moving in every direction at a chaotic pace, to arrive in what is generally considered the Arab Emirate of Southeast Asia, I noticed that the change was immediate. Roads paved smooth delighting the caviar of luxury cars, the trees and gardens manicured to perfection, great towers kissing the heavens. Money seemingly flowing, unregulated, like an undercurrent tapped from a well of oil.

Winding through the tree-lined streets of the expat community, the other world within the city was evident: monster homes protected by high fences, security cameras watching every movement, many of the houses nestled behind the gates of privileged cul-de-sacs hidden from anything local. But even among the expats the lifestyles and income levels differ greatly.

Old friends and hosts Pat and Karen, a husband and wife expat and local, have made their home here together for 15 years. The majority of their friends are under contract with major oil companies, many of them geologists with sweetened incentive packages of personal cars, expense accounts, home rental fees, and of course bloated salaries. Pat and Karen's lives are simple compared to those around them, as climate, nature and family keeps them in the country.

Their quiet street of town houses, lacking the pomp of those around the corner, is still under the watchful eye of a fulltime security guard. Brought in after a string of daytime break-ins, there were hopes his presence alone would deter more in the future. No older than 25, the young Nepalese guard spends his days in a small kiosk waving and smiling at residents as they come and go. Seldom does he get a smile back. He works seven days a week, 12 hours a day, without complaint, nor a social existence.

Such is the reality of life for a migrant worker in Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur where an army of workers are needed and wanted to maintain lavish lifestyles. Regardless of the streams of money, with the wealth that exists the lower class of employees are mistreated and underpaid, and few more than the women who slave all day as domestic workers.
With no domestic help, Pat and Karen are an anomaly among expats. But the problems associated with the way the workers are treated and how they are viewed in Malaysia is clear.

“These are people viewed as a lower class of human,” says Karen, a native of Kuala Lumpur who grew-up watching as neighbours lived lives of extravagance, noting it doesn't take a large salary, even by western standards, to afford full-time help. “Even lower middle-class families have full-time maids.”

Pat has seen scores of friends focus solely on careers while leaving both the household and childcare responsibilities to their domestic worker.

“There are more children here raised by the maid than not,” he said, noting his astonishment at how so many can show so little respect for the women who are left to care for their children. However, even as new laws come into effect to protect workers who seldom leave the house, he wasn't confident that things would change. “How do you enforce a law when everyone is breaking it?”

For them the problem is ingrained in the county's cultural and economic makeup. The issue he says facing domestic workers in Malaysia has much to do with a society that depends heavily on cheap foreign labour to maintain a high standard of living. On top of that, worse they believe, is the empathy deficit that Malaysia suffers. In fact, they say there is no empathy to be found.

From maids, to waiters, to the security guard at the street entrance, foreign workers fill the jobs that no Malaysian would ever consider, especially not for the wages offered. The international community has taken notice, time and time again. But the story of Malaysia and its domestic workforce is one of failed hopes and empty promises.

An International Call for Change

In June amid much fanfare and media attention, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a treaty aimed to protect domestic workers worldwide. Governments, trade unions and employee organisations convened to create an agreement that would set internationally recognised standards for domestic work. It was hailed as a major step forward for those employed to clean homes and act as caretakers.

And as much as the treaty is viewed as an empowerment of workers, it is seen globally as a treaty to protect the rights of women.

The number of domestic workers worldwide is estimated from 50 – 100 million people, most of them women and girls. Long without any labour laws to safeguard them from abuse, those who work within the home are out of sight and subjected to a dizzying array of sub-standard conditions, labour exploitation, sexual and physical violence. The majority of them work in countries that view them as a sub-class of people, or fail to recognise them at all. The same standards applied to states' own citizens do not apply to the women who mop the floors.

Over three years the ILO developed the agreement that will help domestic workers receive similar recognition as workers in other sectors. Among the rules and regulations to take effect are things as simple as allowing workers to retain their passports, maintain set working hours and a mandatory day off each week. Allowances so basic compared to most people that the idea of a holiday exists only in the realm of fantasy.

Although the convention has been seen an historic success for setting universal rules for the treatment of domestic workers, signatory national governments must still implement it through law, and only after it has been ratified, a process that has yet to begin.

Of the 475 ILO delegates who voted, an overwhelming 396 were in favour and 16 countries were against. The remaining 63 abstained, including Malaysia, and for reasons which are easy to understand.

Having to observe stricter labour laws would affect what is essentially modern-day slavery in Malaysia. Increasing wages and rights would undo the society's social order by elevating the help to a status nearly equalling fellow citizens. Keeping domestic workers outside of labour agreements keeps them cheap and expendable, making certain that most households could employ one at their disposal.

Until recently, the average monthly take home salary for a domestic worker in Kuala Lumpur, regulated solely by the employers themselves, was roughly 500 Ringgits, or $158 USD, and that is when employers agreed to pay. The idea of a minimum wage has been unheard of in all sectors, so the idea to implement one rattled the comforts of the elite.

Known as a country that goes to great lengths to avoid the negative spotlight, Malaysia opted to create its own solution through a bilateral agreement with neighbouring country Indonesia, its number one source of domestic workers.

On the surface the agreement with Indonesia makes sense, but it was not arrived at by choice. Stemming from a 2009 Indonesian moratorium on domestic workers bound for Malaysia, the country was not only starved for workers, but for domestic staff with cultural, linguistic and religious similarities. The bold move by Indonesia was made in response to Malaysia's reluctance to respond to cases of abuse, and it worked, forcing the country to negotiate improved conditions.

Parimala Moses of the Malaysian Trade Union Organization (MTUC) says that Malaysia's initial reaction was to seek workers from another country, and one that would not question their treatment. The project officer for the MTUC/ILO Action Programme for Migrant Domestic Workers in Malaysia points to a 2010 drop in the number of workers, which fell to 225,000 from 310,000 because of the freeze.

“To make-up for the loss of Indonesian workers, Malaysians began taking from Cambodia whose number was previously less than 5,000. When they started hiring from Cambodia, the number immediately shot up to 10,000, and that's when we began seeing the problems,” she said.

The problems Moses refers to were abuses often more severe than those seen with the Indonesians, primarily due to language and cultural differences. Recognising that the situation was not working with Cambodians, Malaysia sat down with Indonesia to find a solution and end the freeze.

After two years of negotiations, the result was a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries. In it many of the same issues included in the ILO convention were agreed upon, such as the right of a worker to keep their passport and a mandatory day off. Even a set minimum wage of 700 R per month was met. The agreements will see the ban will be lifted Dec 1, allowing workers to again flow across the border and into homes. Although the MOU is being applauded my human rights and workers advocacy groups as a positive step forward, one issue that continues to loom jeopardises the chances that progress will actually be realised.

“The problem boils down to a lack of enforcement and a lack of monitoring,” said Moses, critical that the MOU fails to produce concrete ways to empower the women. “The workers are all in private domains and out of sight. Do we have the man power to go and check? No, we don't.”

With 80,000 workers already set to return to Malaysia, illustrating just how dependent on others Indonesia is for jobs, human rights observers will have to wait and see who has the upper hand, and if the new rules make for positive change, or if it will be a return to business as usual.

Working from the ground up

The abuse of domestic workers in Malaysia has long-since been documented, and international pressure often conjures a response from a government that tries to avoid criticism. Despite high-diplomatic measures to force Malaysia to act, much of the day-to-day support and awareness campaigns are carried out by local grass-roots level advocacy groups. One of those organisations based in a Kuala Lumpur suburb is Tenaganita.

In an unassuming house on the side of a busy four-lane thoroughfare, Tenaganita goes about its business of helping migrants. Complimenting the work of the MTUC, which focuses many of its efforts and campaigns in step with government officials, Tenaganita is far removed from the high-level boardroom talks. In fact, it finds itself locked out of government access, not by choice but by circumstance, which now defines its work.

Launched in 1990, Tenaganita was created in response to issues facing migrant plantation and electronics industry workers, all of whom were men. But it soon became evident that there were growing problems within the domestic workforce of women that garnered increased attention. Today, much of the organisation's focus has shifted to helping the workers shielded from public view.

Since the mid-nineties Tenaganita has held a reputation for going head-to-head with government policy without fear or consequence. The fallout from a 1995 report revealing the inhumane conditions of migrant domestic worker detention centres in Malaysia saw founder Irene Fernandez charged with 'maliciously publishing false news'. In 2003 she was sentenced to a year in prison.

Although the conviction was overturned in 2008, Tenaganita was blacklisted within Malaysia and thrown to the outside of official efforts to curb worker abuse. But by being labelled a misfit, the group grew stronger by having nothing to lose. The result is an organisation that routinely speaks out against the government and is creating change from the ground up.

Tenaganita consultant and program Manager Aegile Fernandez has made her life's work protecting domestic workers. She became involved in the early eighties when large groups of Filipino women were arriving in Malaysia for domestic contracts. Delivered in droves by recruitment agents, the women experienced the same issues of abuse that are still common today. “We would undertake rescue missions to save workers kept in captivity by agents,” she recalled.

Originally much of her work was carried-out under the umbrella of the Catholic Church because of Filipinos' religious affiliations. The result of the ‘rescue' efforts would be the first contract drawn up to protect the workers, making the Philippines “one of the best examples of domestic worker progress.”

Despite the success, everything changed when an aggressive recruitment campaign targeting Indonesians began. It was 1990 and Malaysia was opening its doors to the markets, and workers in all sectors were needed to push the country into the 21st century. Along with being cheap, Indonesian domestic workers were preferred for religious and linguistic similarities while the Philippines sent its workers elsewhere to avoid abuse and receive larger pay-cheques. It took little time for the problems to begin with the Indonesians.

“I cannot understand how Malaysia with such an affluent society cannot treat its domestic workers with respect,” she said bewildered. “Many of them here are malnourished, or being starved to death.” She cited cases of workers surviving only on biscuits and noodles for food, once or twice daily. Such tactics leave the workers barely strong enough to continue their work, but powerless and too weak to flee or fight for better conditions. Through an arrangement with the police, Fernandez and her team continue to rescue workers living in abusive households. Often it is up to an understanding neighbour to call since the women have no way of reaching out for help.

“We look case-by-case and decide when to take the initiatives for rescues, with the assistance of neighbours,” she said. Even with the approved day-off in the MOU, it is up to the domestic worker to request it. A requirement she says has no way of being monitored. To counter a lack of resources, Tenaganita is shifting its efforts toward employers and agents.

Due to high incidences of runaways within the Indonesian workforce, the group is using the example of the Philippines with mandatory days off. One day-off per week will allow women to attend skills training sessions, counselling, and enjoy social time with other workers. The programs are even targeting agents and employers to bring their workers in to resolve issues before they get out of hand, preventing problems instead of dealing only with the fallout.

Even with its blacklisted status, Tenaganita still approaches foreign governments to wield influence.

“We are telling the governments: you are sending healthy girls here and we are sending broken girls back... It's now a problem for you.” Adding that not only are countries returned an unhealthy workforce, but the medical costs drain the system.

It is a reoccurring theme in Malaysia where changes are initiated outside of the country to ensure that rules are observed. When asked why her country cannot improve the situation alone, Fernandez attributed it to the society's lack of empathy.

“It is the mentality of even using the word ‘maid' or ‘servant,'” she said, that dehumanises the women. “Because they come here to earn, they cannot protest.”

She traces the problems to the increase of wealth and entitlement in Malaysia's society which has led to less sharing, and less respect for people who must work more to make a living.

“You talk about Asian values, and what are Asian values?” she asked. “The values are respect, and we now have a generation that has lost that respect.”

An increase in education for the employers she says is needed to alter the social fabric. She increasingly encourages employers to help educate the women, either in language at home or by sending them to school. The positive outcomes will improve both the women's personal lives and their situation at work.

Standing beneath Kuala Lumpur's twin towers, one easily sees where the immense wealth is invested. As money continues to be poured into new construction projects, the foundation of the country's moral imperative teeters, eroded through the chase of riches. With women set to return in huge numbers, the time is now to make the change reality before it crumbles beyond repair.

A special report By Andrew King

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Rubix 1138

Give the gift of a day off for your domestic worker this holiday

2011-12-19T09:10:38Z

Domestic workers from 12 countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East are taking to the streets on Monday 19th December to demand better rights including one day off a week and an eight-hour working day for the 53 million domestic workers worldwide.

The global campaign aims to put in place the ILO convention for domestic workers, which needs two countries to ratify the convention to bring it into force, and introduce decent laws in countries where domestic workers are most under threat.

“Domestic workers deserve the same rights as other workers. As millions of people prepare to take holidays, it's a stark reminder that some workers don't have the right to have one day off a week,” said Sharan Burrow.

Domestic workers are campaigning for one day off a week, a minimum wage, an 8-hour day, the right to join a union, protection from exploitation and abuse, social protection and the regulation of employment agencies.

In front of parliaments and government offices in Jakarta, Capetown and Brussels domestic workers will be mopping the floor and cleaning the steps in a bid to get politicians to introduce decent laws.

The international trade unions year-long campaign, 12 by 12, aims at getting the first 12 countries to pass decent laws for domestic workers in 2012 and ratify ILO Convention 189 giving rights to domestic workers. ITUC is working in partnership with the ETUC, the International Domestic Workers Network , IUF, Solidar and national centres.

“If people, many of them government officials and ministers, will hire domestic workers and let them in to their house, why won't they let them into the law?,” says Sharan Burrow.

83% of domestic workers are women, and many are migrant workers carrying out roles such as cooking, cleaning and caring for young children and the elderly.

The campaign launch follows International Migrants Day on Sunday 18th December. Many domestic workers are migrant workers, with no voice or rights in the countries where they are working. Hidden behind closed doors working in homes, they are also hidden from the law as migrant workers.

“For domestic workers, those caring for the elderly and children are never given a day off, and only rest after the people they care for go to bed,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the ITUC. “Governments should address the problem and create protective mechanisms to ensure that the rights of migrant workers are actually respected in their territory.”

About the 12 by 12 Campaign:

12 by 12 is the campaign to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers in 12 countries in 2012 led by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and with partners: the International Domestic Workers Network, IUF and the European Trade Union Confederation.
Two countries are needed to ratify the ILO Convention to bring it into force.

The campaign focuses on 12 countries representing 40% of the world's domestic workers industry.

Latin America: Brazil, Dominican Republic, Peru, Paraguay; Africa: Kenya, South Africa, Senegal; Asia/Pacific: Indonesia, India, Philippines; Europe: EU; Middle East: Saudi Arabia.

Actions by workers and campaigners in Asia/Pacific:

Indonesia – has launched a nation-wide petition which will culminate on 15 February, the Indonesian National Day for Domestic Workers.
India – is bringing together 50 domestic workers in New Delhi to spearhead the campaign with the Minister for Labour.

Philippines – have domestic workers participating in a Fun Run with 100s of balloons and road signs along the route saying ‘Domestic work is work' and ‘Domestic workers are not slaves'.

Actions by workers and campaigners in Africa and Latin America:

In Kenya, South African, Senegal, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Peru hundreds of domestic workers are rallying in front of parliaments to call on politicians to ratify the convention and introduce decent laws for domestic workers.

Actions by workers and campaigners in Europe:

In Brussels, hundreds of domestic workers are cleaning the steps and polishing the railings in front of the European Parliament.

Actions for the rights of domestic workers are also taking place in Ecuador, Honduras, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, Mozambique and Sri Lanka.

See photos of campaign actions

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Gaetan Nerincx

Stop Violence, Impunity and Sexual Harassment at Work

2011-11-25T09:38:32Z

To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the ITUC and its affiliated organisations are mobilising across the globe to say 'stop violence, impunity and sexual harassment at work'.

"The trade union movement feels particularly concerned by violence against women, be it in the private or public sphere or at work," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "Trade unions have a key role to play, starting with denouncing the facts and breaking the silence."

Women in precarious jobs are particularly vulnerable, such as domestic workers, for example, a largely undervalued, widely exploited group, generally unprotected by labour laws. Migrant women are also highly exposed to the risk of violence at work.

To mark this year's international day, the ITUC and the ICEM are publishing a new report "Violence against Women in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Whose Responsibility? Whose Complicity?" The report underlines the economic dimension of the conflict and its links to the violence endured by women.

Control over the DR Congo's natural and mineral resources has always been disputed. It is this staggering wealth of resources that fuels the conflicts plaguing the country and profits the military and rebel groups using sexual violence as a weapon of war. According to a recent UNEP report, the DRC's untapped mineral reserves are estimated to be worth 24 trillion US dollars.

The electronics industry is a major consumer of the minerals sourced from the DRC and which are essential to the production of computers, mobile phones and other electronic devices. Initiatives taken at international level such as the Dodd-Frank Act passed by the US Senate or the OECD Guidance are useful but do not go far enough. It is highly regrettable that the European Commission has not yet responded to the European Parliament's calls for it to take legislative action.

But the economic interests at stake are huge, as seen with the fierce opposition to the Dodd-Frank Act voiced by the American Chamber of Commerce, which has been trying to dilute the new control and traceability systems developed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and to delay their implementation.

Urgent action is needed to protect the people affected and to ensure decent work for the men and women being exploited in the mines of eastern DRC.

As the electoral campaign in the Democratic Republic of Congo enters full swing, the country's trade unions, the UNTC, CSC and CDT, are denouncing the endemic poverty, the rampant corruption and the appalling lack of decent work.

"Impunity must be ended and justice must be done for the huge numbers of women victims of these conflicts. Powerful vested interests linked to the region's mineral resources must stop taking precedence over respect for the life and dignity of women," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. "It will be up to the newly-elected government to establish effective legislative and punitive measures to combat all forms of violence against women," she insisted, at the same time as expressing regret at the poor level of women's participation in the political life of the country.

The ITUC has also published a new report under the heading "Stop Violence and Impunity: Justice for the Women of DRC", covering the many forms of discrimination, exploitation and isolation suffered by Congolese women.

Read the report "Violence against Women in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Whose Responsibility? Whose Complicity?"

Read the report "Stop Violence and Impunity: Justice for Women in DRC"

For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on the following numbers: +32 2 224 020 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu

World Conference on Social Determinants of Health tackles health inequalities and human rights

2011-10-20T15:07:28Z

(19-21.10.2012) WHO is convening this global conference to build support for the implementation of action on social determinants of health. The conference will bring together Member States and stakeholders to share experiences on policies and strategies aiming to reduce health inequities. It will provide a global platform for dialogue on how to take forward the recommendations of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008).

The World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, takes place between 19 - 21 October.

Trade union HIV/AIDS programs were born out of the recognition that social justice is a matter of life and death, socio-economic policies are determinants to health and that at the same time health determines equality and development (individual and collective). The conference's outcome document, the Rio Declaration, will help to build high-level international backing for the further development and implementation of national policies to address social determinants of health. It can provide with more argument to support the trade union position on HIV/AIDS and other MDGs , including the work on the implementation of the ILO HIV and AIDS Recommendation no. 200 (2010) at the global as well as at the national level.

The conference will be attended by ministers of health, foreign affairs, the environment and other sectors; representatives of international agencies, philanthropic institutions and civil society organizations; leading academics and technical experts; and representatives from the private sector.

Website of the Conference: http://www.who.int/sdhconference/en/index.html

WHO webpage on social determinants of health:http://www.who.int/social_determinants/en/

The Commission's final report was launched in August 2008, and contained three overarching recommendations:
1. Improve daily living conditions
2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources
3. Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action

More information on the recommendations can be found here: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/closethegap_how/en/index.html

The 2008 Report can be found here: http://www.who.int/social_determinants/thecommission/finalreport/en/index.html

The program of the Conference can be found here: http://www.who.int/sdhconference/programme/programme.pdf

Unions Tell UN and Governments to Step Up Action Against Racism

2011-09-22T13:23:54Z

Trade unions are calling on the UN and its member countries to step up action against racism and xenophobia at today's UN High-Level General Assembly event on racism. The ITUC and Public Services International have submitted a joint statement to the meeting, which takes place ten years after the adoption of the “Durban Declaration”.

The statement notes the lack of progress in many countries at tackling racism, and stresses that discrimination and xenophobia are being exacerbated as the global financial and employment crisis deepens.

Rudy De Leeuw, ITUC Vice-President and President of the FGTB Belgium, who is participating in the UN debate on behalf of the ITUC, said “Acts of racism and xenophobia are very often employment related. Trade unions' work is to keep employers accountable to national and international anti-discrimination standards and to promote a climate of tolerance at the workplace. We need to focus much more on temporary work agencies, as several of these agencies tend to have particularly discriminatory hiring practices.”

Trade unions are working actively to fight racism at the workplace and the presence of national centres from Brazil, the US, Africa and Europe today in New York testifies of the importance of this issue for workers' organisations.
The ITUC-PSI statement stresses that ILO Convention 111 on Discrimination in Employment, which has been ratified by 170 countries, is a powerful instrument in fighting for equality and non-discrimination at work; however, urgent steps need to be taken to improve its implementation in many countries .

It also insists that countries ratify and implement ILO Conventions 97 and 143 on Migrant Workers and the UN Convention

“As the world economic crisis deepens, the risks of xenophobia, intolerance and nationalism grow by the day, and governments need to focus real efforts on combatting these tendencies and promoting tolerance and social cohesion,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

To see the programme for the Conference

For any further information, please contact the ITUC press department on: +32 2 224 02 04 or +32 476 62 10 18

Photo: John Connell