The Domestic Workers' Movement Around the World - Articles - Zimbio

Slavery. Is it ok?

Wed, 21 Aug 2008 03:01:00 GMT

posted by thephilosophizer
It seems to be a losing argument to say that slavery can be acceptable. However, in Aristotle's time, it was commonplace. This is not to say that the ancient Greeks were barbarians because of this. While, for example, the oppression of slaves in the U.S. up to the last century was obviously unacceptable Aristotle shows the conditions necessary for "just" slavery (an oxymoron in the eyes of many, particularly Plato [Polit. 258 E. 259]). At first I couldn't believe in a justification for slavery, knowing that all men are born equal, blah blah blah etc. but let me give you the quote and I'll leave it to you to decide. The Quote:

They think that as men and animals beget men and animals, so from good men a good man springs. But this is what nature, though she may intend it cannot always accomplish. We see then that there is some foundation for this difference of opinion, and that all are not either slaves by nature or freemen by nature, and also that there is in some cases a marked distinction between the two classes, rendering it expedient and right for the one to be slaves and the others to be masters: the one practising obedience, the others exercising the authority and lordship which nature intended them to have. The abuse of this authority is injurious to both; for the interests of part and whole, of master, a living but separated part of his bodily frame. Hence, where the relation of master and slave between them is natural they are friends and have a common interest, but where it rests merely on law and force the reverse is true.

Aristotle goes on to say that this means that slavery is not a uniform relationship and that all aspects of it can vary between every example.-Aristotle, Politics, 1255 What the quote says:Basically what the quote is saying is that while nature has the best intentions of equality, sometimes it just doesn't work out like that. Some people are born slaves and some born masters. Having a master paired with a slave is natural where they have a common interest and are friends, according to Aristotle. My Infallible Opinion:Slavery has a bad connotation and for good reason considering the many atrocities committed under it's name. For the most part I doubt that slaves in any number have this wonderful, friendly and cooperative relationship with their master. However, I will concede that under the conditions mentioned, slavery could be the best option. If so, maybe I should get out of blogging as a hobby and start a slave/master matchmaking service. There can't be any laws against that, right? On second thought people would probably just think it's kinky and it would turn into a hardcore dating site....not my scene, oh well.EDIT: As Aristotle worded the "acceptable" conditions for slavery, I can't really object to it because it is in fact a mutual decision. I can't justify denying that humans should have an inate right to freedom and equality at birth. Yet as it has been quoted above, it is more like the slave is choosing to be the slave. That kind of defeats the point of the argument doesn't it? So I must conclude that slavery under the dictionary definition is not ok.

Oxfam: migrant Indian and Philippino domestics face abuse in the UK

Tue, 2 Jul 2008 17:18:00 GMT

posted by aidanki

A new report published by Oxfam and the London based charity, Kalayaan (freedom in Phillipino), shows widespread abuse of migrant domestic workers in the UK.

In association with Oxfam, Kalayaan interviewed 300 migrant domestic workers. Most described sub-standard working conditions. Some hadn't been provided with a bed of their own by their employers. Others reported that they had been deprived of food. In some cases workers were prohibited from leaving the home of their own volition.

There were also complaints of sexual assaults by employers, along with allegations of physical and psychological abuse.

A BBC report mentions the case of a domestic named Rina who claims that her employers treated her 'like a slave.' She wasn't allocated a bedroom, and was compelled to sleep in the living room. The female employer was so controlling about Rina's food intake that she counted tea bags, in order to monitor how much tea was being consumed.

Rina claimed that she had to fend off unwanted sexual advances from the male employer, who used a belt when she refused to go along with his demands. To escape his attentions, she resorted to locking herself in the washroom.

In the UK, migrant domestics have the legal status of workers and are entitled to the rights that go with that, including minimum wage, time off and the ability to come and go without constraints.

The Kalayaan research reveals that 43% of the workers reported having no bed of their own, 41% were not provided with regular meals, 70% were given no time off, 61% were not allowed out of the house.

In addition 10% reported sexual abuse at the hands of the employer (a problem the charity believes to be underreported), 26% physical abuse and 72% psychological abuse.

Some of these women were made to work 16 hour days, many of them for as little as 50p and hour.

What makes the findings of this report particularly troubling, is that these women come from backgrounds that exposed them to hardship and poverty. To move from that situation at some risk to themselves, to an affluent nation such as the UK, only to be exploited in this fashion is nothing short of scandalous.

Each year roughly 17,000 migrant domestic worker visas are granted in the UK. The employer gives an undertaking to accommodate and feed the domestic worker in care.

New changes proposed by the British Home Office will be helpful in securing a measure of independence for these women. The Home Office is going to drop proposed visa changes that would tie domestic workers to one employer. Oxfam was concerned that this could have resulted in "bonded" type labour situations, which could leave workers trapped in exploitive work situations.

Tags: Oxfam, Kalayaan, migrant domestic workers, abuse, exploitive labour practices, BBC

Quebec: Demonstration for Justice

Thu, 9 May 2008 16:51:54 GMT

posted by ailunku

On May 5, 2008, undocumented migrant workers marched through the street in Montreal demanding to be seen -- they are tired of being invisible to justice. More than 400 marchers, according to The Gazette, "paraded through the city's working-class Côte des Neiges district demanding recognition, respect and rights for what organizers said are 40,000 non-status migrants in the Montreal region." Among these migrant workers include a good percentage of domestic workers who help Canadians do their laundry and mind their children.

The Canadian Hispanic Congress tells The Gazette, an estimated 200,000 to 500,000 such individuals are quietly used across Canada to keep the nation's economic wheels turning. Without immigration papers or status, however, organizers said, they are largely forced to live and work underground.

Easy targets for exploitation, they survive on the margins with virtually no recourse to the basic protections most in our society take for granted - in a nation built by successive waves of immigrants.

In Quebec, "domestic workers are the only salaried workers who are not guaranteed Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST) coverage by their employer," Tessalona said, on of the founders of the Immigrant Workers Centre. Domestic workers and care-givers, usually immigrant and female, who care for children, the infirm or aged but do not live in, are not eligible for compensation when they suffer work-related back pain, muscular or skeletal disorders, allergies, burns, cuts or stress.

The Immigrant Workers Centre used the march to gather names for a two-pronged demand to submit to David Whissell, Quebec's labour minister, seeking:

- Mandatory CSST coverage of domestic workers, regardless of immigration status or validity of work permit.
- That basic CCST information be available in languages other than French.

Together with other migrant workers, visibility is an important success to the larger victory of labor rights for domestic workers. An important alliance for the domestic workers to consider as a part of a larger strategy to gain visibility is exactly what the migrant workers did in Montreal -- Critical mass to gain visibility as a way to further the movement of all migrant workers.

Original Source

Domestic Workers Campaign Launches in Lebanon on the Eve of Labor Day

Sun, 5 May 2008 01:55:35 GMT

posted by ailunku
On the eve of Lebanese Labor Day, the Human Rights Watch launches a capmaign to raise awareness on domestic workers rights in an effort to stop domestic workers abuse and exploitation. The campaign boldly asks the employers to "Put yourself in her shoes." The title of the campaign is powerful and simple. It forces employers to think about the unfairness of working without pay and in inhumane conditions. It forces employers to think, what if whenever I went to work, my boss degraded me?

The Human Rights Watch says, "An estimated 200,000 domestic workers, primarily from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Ethiopia, play an essential role in a large number of Lebanese households, yet remain unprotected by labor laws and are subject to exploitation and frequent abuse by employers and agencies.

“This Labor Day reminds us of the important contributions these women make to this country,” said Nadim Houry, researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They not only pick up the slack in many households in Lebanon, but also help support their own families left behind. While some employers treat domestic workers with respect, many fail to provide minimum standards of decent working conditions, such as adequate food, living accommodations, and regular payment.”

The most common complaints made by domestic workers to embassies and nongovernmental organizations include non-payment or delayed payment of their wages, forced confinement to the workplace, no time off, and verbal, as well as physical, abuse. According to a 2006 survey conducted by Dr. Ray Jureidini of 600 migrant domestic workers, 56 percent said they work more than 12 hours a day and 34 percent have no regular time off. In some cases, workers have died while attempting to escape these conditions, some by jumping from balconies.

'We often hear employers say they cannot give a domestic worker a day off because she will come back pregnant or will want to get paid more after talking to other workers,” said Houry. “These employers may think they are protecting themselves or their workers, but what they are doing constitutes serious violations of basic human rights. The better approach is to build mutual trust.'"

With the power and credibility of the Human Rights Watch behind it, the domestic workers's rights movement should garner this momentum and launch similar versions of this campaign in other countries that have a large number of migrant/domestic workers.

Kalayaan - Understanding and Improving the Situation of Domestic Workers

Thu, 2 May 2008 01:35:05 GMT

posted by ailunku

Kalayaan is a charity organization advocating and working for migrant domestic workers' rights in the UK. They offer an array of services, including free, independent, and confidential advice on immigration and employment; support in retrieving passports from employers; training in accessing healthcare and mainstream services; english for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses; Support with reading and writing letters or forms; practical emergency assistance to clients who have recently left abusive employers, and a social space where clients can come and meet friends, have tea or coffee and pick up mail. Where Kayalaan cannot provide direct assistance or service, they make referrals or signposts to a relevant service.

Kalayaan has a sister project called, Kalayaan Carers. It is a research project intending to understand the increasing important role of domestic worker in providing care for the elderly in their households. Specifically, "Research findings will be used by Kalayaan as a basis for empowering and supporting migrant carers, and for advocacy work that will highlight and change the situations in which migrant carers find themselves. Kalayaan will develop strategies for promoting inclusion of migrant carers not only within Kalayaan’s work, but also within other organisations, and ultimately, within wider society."

Organizations like Kalayaan understand the importance of good research and documentation to support and enhance their work. In order to amplify the work that it does, Kalayaan is making a significant effort to learn who they are trying to help first. They offer a testimony on their website to help the average reader gain some insight into the common struggles of migrant domestic workers in the UK. The rich stories they gather from domestic workers, their employers, and other agencies and stakeholders will become powerful data to combat unfair treatment of migrant domestic workers in the UK.

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