Organizing & Decent Work for Domestic Workers

Transcription

1 Organizing & Decent Work for Domestic Workers (Knowledge-sharing cum training workshop) Oct 2012 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Presented by Mar-e-um Khondaker Barrister At Law Advocate Secretary, Women Affair, BJSD, Narayangonj, Bangladesh Vice President, Rupgonj BJSD, Rupgonj, Bangladesh Legal Advisor, Garment Labor Organization, BJSD, Narayangonj, Bangladesh Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Sromik Dol (BJSD) Bangladesh

2 Slide-1 Domestic Workers in Bangladesh Total Domestic workers: 331,000 (Labor Force Survey-2006) Child Domestic worker: 420,000 (ILO-UNICEF Baseline Survey 2007) Among them 83 percent are Female, who are mostly child and young in age. Estimated domestic workers: about 2 million (calculation based on household of the Dhaka and Chittagong City Corporation) Bangladesh Govt. has no updated data. Bangladesh does not expressly send migrant domestic workers to foreign countries, but recently expressly has sent to Singapore and Middle East.

3 Sweep and mop Wash (Clothes, dishes) Cooking and cleaning Look after children and elders Slide-2 Nature of Work and Employment Helping for all other house hold works Common Violations Mostly:- No fixed working hour No fixed scale of wages No holiday No right to organize Lack of living space No education facility No rest and recreation facility Additional:- Rape Divert murder as to suicide Punish them by stop feeding Burn (i.g. iron) Slap and kick Abuse and Swearing Employ Child worker in risky zone/ work (e.g. cooking, iron)

4 Slide-3 Involvement and Problem with Recruitment Agencies Internal: Bangladesh does not has any recruitment agencies for internal domestic workers. External: For migration domestic workers problem arises as follows:- Unclear and vague Recruitment agencies use code language rather then clear description of work Workers used to inform about one kind of job but, later on put them for domestic work. Once reached to abroad, they would not be allowed to leave or change the job whether they like it or not. Recently expressly sent domestic workers to Singapore and Middle East.

5 Slide-4 Protection of Domestic Workers Domestic workers are restricted to recognize as worker by the section 1(4)(Naw) of the Bangladesh Labor Law DWRN (Domestic workers Right Network) is working nationwide to protect rights of the Domestic workers. Convention 189 of the ILO has no rectification by the Govt. but, the organizations of DWRN (e.g. BJSD) network are having advocacy to pursue it. For the time being domestic workers do not have separate law for their protection but they can go for general law i.e the Penal Code, 1860, the Anti-Women and Children Oppression Act, Order of the Hon ble High Court Division dated 09/02/11 Comprising of their Lordships Mr. Justice Md. Iman Ali and Mr. Justice Shek Hasan Arif in Writ Petition no.3598/2011. Recently, drafted a Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy by the Bangladesh Government under influence of DWRN networking organizations to protect their rights.

6 Slide-5 Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sromik Dol (BJSD) Organization As an active member of Domestic workers Right Network (DWRN), BJSD is implicating all of its planned activities. DWRN is secretariat by Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies (BILS). DWRN has 32 organizations in it s network, one of them is BJSD. BJSD has nominated two Female leaders to organize BJSD network for DWRN. Other then participating in DWRN activity, BJSD formulated an own action plan to organize domestic workers. BJSD is working with 4 sectors on priority basis. Domestic worker is one of them. Working area- Tajgoan, Moghbazar, Rampura, Malibag, Khilgoan, Badda,Vatara, Gulshan, Mirpur. As domestic workers are not included in the Bangladesh Labor Law , hence, it is not possible to organize trade union but, BJSD and other organizations of DWRN are organizing committee for them.

7 Slide-6 Future plan of BJSD Organize 500 female domestic workers in the year July 2012 to June Collect information of domestic workers on area basis. Form team on area basis. Campaign to include domestic workers in the Bangladesh Labor Law Act. Service provided to the Domestic Workers by BJSD Protect right of workers Give Legal protection against violation and abuse Campaigning to create awareness of the employers and the workers Organize workers, especially female workers Organized 02 committees.

8 Slide-7 Participation of the Domestic workers They are appreciating BJSD to organize them. They are attending meetings called by the organization. They are now more interested to know about their rights and inform others. They are helping the BJSD for campaigning. Meeting point- BJSD Office, Dhaka, Bangladesh Example of Campaign Internal workers: Rally Posturing Door to door campaign Leaflet Slogan Migrant workers: Posturing Lobbing with embassy recite Lobbing with reciting agency

9 Slide-8 Response from Campaign Bangladesh Government drafted the Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy to protect rights of the domestic workers. Many employers are now willfully allowing the workers to join meeting and committee. The workers are now more aware about their rights. Some employers are allowing child workers to attend school. Example of Improvement 02 committees are formed. Domestic workers are now more aware about their rights. Many of them are working with BJSD for their welfare and organize themselves. Team workers are immediately taking rapid action to get justice against any violation along with them (e.g. protesting by rally, human chain, distributing leaflet, getting media coverage etc..) and because of all, general people are getting more aware to rights of domestic workers. Organizations are standing by their side to get legal action against any violation and working to protect rights of domestic workers.