Ellen, a domestic worker in Manila, plays games on her tablet during break time. She gets six hours of sleep every day, but has breaks whenever she finishes her tasks early. (File photo by Patricia Nabong for LiCAS.news)
By LiCAS.news
June 18 2021
Ten years after the adoption of an historic International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention that confirmed their rights, domestic workers are still fighting for recognition as workers and as essential service providers.
Working conditions for many have not improved in a decade and have been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, said a new ILO report released this week.
The report said that at the height of the crisis, job losses among domestic workers ranged from 5-20 percent in most European countries, and in Canada and South Africa.
In the Americas, the situation was worse, with losses reaching to 25-50 percent. Over the same period, job losses among other employees were less than 15 percent in most countries.
Data in the report shows that the world’s 75.6 million domestic workers have suffered significantly, which in turn has affected the households that rely on them to meet their daily care needs.
“The crisis has highlighted the urgent need to formalize domestic work to ensure their access to decent work, starting with the extension and implementation of labour and social security laws to all domestic workers, said Guy Ryder, ILO director general.
Read the full article on LiCAS.news