Domestic workers - 12 by 12

The End of Modern-day Slavery: There are over 100 million workers employed to do work in someone else’s house all over world. These domestic workers clean, cook, do laundry, provide care to children and the elderly and lots more. Their work is undervalued, underpaid, invisible, not recognised, and not respected. The majority of domestic workers are women (82%) – many are migrants or children. (...)

In many countries domestic workers are excluded from labour legislation and social protection schemes. Many are denied the right, either in law or in practice, to form or join a trade union. As a result, mistreatment, exploitation, violence, and physical and sexual abuse are frequent and often go unpunished.

In June 2011 the UN body that deals with labour issues, the ILO (the International Labour Organisation), adopted Convention 189 (C189) and Recommendation 201 (R201) on Domestic Workers.

Convention 189 recognises the right of domestic workers to join and form trade unions, which is still forbidden in many countries. It also protects the right to minimum wage in countries where it exists, and protects monthly payments and access to social security including in the case of maternity.

The Convention gives domestic workers one day off per week and regulates their working hours. In essence, the Convention guarantees that domestic workers are treated as any other worker under labour legislation.

This Convention will enter into force once two countries have ratified it.

The ITUC launches the “12 by 12” worldwide campaign on getting 12 countries to ratify Convention 189 by the end of 2012.

While the campaign aims at mobilising action around the world, it will have a particular focus on the following countries and the EU:

1. Brazil
2. Peru
3. Dominican Republic
4. Paraguay
5. South Africa
6. Senegal
7. Kenya
8. Philippines
9. Indonesia
10. India
11. Saudi Arabia
12. the EU

The ITUC "12 by 12" campaign will be organised in cooperation with other organisations worldwide, such as the IUF (a global union for food, farm and hotel workers world-wide); the International Domestic Workers Network; European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and other human rights, women’s and migrants’ organisations.