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The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has called on countries to ratify the ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention. ILO’s Director-General, Gilbert Houngbo, in a message on International Day for Domestic Workers, commemorated every June 16, said millions of domestic workers globally head to work every day to look after homes and families.
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He said: “The care they provide inside our homes is not just vital, it forms the foundation of our collective well-being – our health, lives, families and even economies. Yet, their work remains unrecognised, unappreciated and unprotected.
“On this International Domestic Workers Day, I call on countries to ratify the International Labour Organisation’s Domestic Workers Convention, Number 189.
“I urge you to take measures to ensure that domestic workers are not left out of labour and social security laws or care policies. There is no social justice without decent work for those who are at the foundation of a caring society. They care for us. Now, it is our turn to make their well-being a priority.”
Houngbo said the ILO is taking action to guarantee that domestic workers have access to good quality jobs, as global demand for these workers is expected to rise.
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To this end, he said the global body has introduced a comprehensive strategy consisting of five steps to improve the working conditions and rights of domestic workers globally.
Domestic workers, who often face some of the worst working conditions, play a vital role in society by providing essential care services to private households.
However, the ILO stressed that their contributions have often been undervalued. An ILO report, published in 2021, found that 81 per cent of domestic workers were informally employed, due to either gap in legal coverage or gaps in implementation.
Meanwhile, it noted that this could be attributed to gaps in legal coverage and implementation. “However, due to the increasing demand for care services worldwide, the need for domestic workers is expected to rise,” it mentioned.
The Director of the Conditions of Work and Equality Department, Sukti Dasgupta, said: “We strongly believe that by following these steps, inspired by the good practices presented in the report, we can make significant progress so that decent work becomes a reality for domestic workers. Domestic workers have ensured our daily care needs. Now it is time for us to ensure they enjoy decent work.”
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