Domestic workers scrub the steps of the European Parliament in a bid for MEPs to come clean and support workers’ rights
Monday 19th December 2011
International Union Campaign - Give the gift of a day off for your domestic worker this holiday
Hundreds of domestic workers from countries including the Philippines, Nepal and Indonesia will clean the streets and polish the railings in front of the European Parliament, to call on MEPs to give 53 million domestic workers better rights including one day off a week and an eight hour working day.
“If MEPs will let domestic workers into their house, why not into the law?” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.
“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.
Brussels will join 11 other countries to launch the year-long campaign 12 by 12 which 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.
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.
When: 12:12pm Monday 19th December, 2011
Where: The square in front of the European Parliament
What: Domestic workers in aprons, with scrub brushes will clean the square in front of the European Parliament, starting at 12:12 pm
Who: 100s of domestic workers; Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation; ETUC; Solidar; International Domestic Workers Network; Alejandro Cercas MEP, and the Belgian trade unions CSC, FGTB and CGSLB-ACLVB.
Contact: Gemma Swart +32 479 06 41 63 gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org or Mathieu Debroux +32 476 62 10 18 mathieu.debroux@ituc-csi.org,
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 partners the International Domestic Workers Network 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.
Gemma Swart, ITUC Press Officer + 32 479 06 41 63
gemma.swart@ituc-csi.org
www.ituc-csi.org
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