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국제노동기구(ILO) 가사노동협약 채택을 환영한다!

 

지난 56 간의 논쟁 끝에 2011. 6. 16. 국제노동기구(ILO) 100 총회에서 ‘가사노동협약’이 찬성 396 반대 16, 기권 63표로 채택되었다. ‘가사노동협약’은 가사노동자의 노동자성을 확인함과 동시 일정 수준의 노동조건 보장, 근로계약서의 작성 의무 부여, 휴일 휴게 시간 보장, 노동3 인정, 산업재해 인정 가사노동자들을 보호하기 위한 일련의 장치들을 마련하고 있다.

 

산업화가 가속화되고 여성의 사회 진출이 늘어나며 사회가 고령화되는 과정에서 가사노동은 여성, 특히 중장년 여성이 가장 많이 선택하는 일자리가 되었다. 그럼에도 불구하고 동안 가사노동자는 법적인 보호를 받지 못해 왔다. 법적인 보호 장치가 없다 보니 가사노동자는 하루 종일 무수히 다양한 일을 하면서도 적정한 임금과 휴게 시간, 휴가를 보장 받지 못해 왔다. 사생활 침해나 폭력, 학대에 있어서도 가사노동자는 취약한 상황이다. 일을 하다가 다쳐도 가사노동자는 자비로 치료비를 마련해야 한다.

 

이러한 의미에서 ‘가사노동협약’은 세계 5000만명이 넘는 수의 가사노동자들을 위한 기념비적인 사건이다. 그동안 ‘가사노동협약’은 누구보다도 열악한 지위에 있는 가사노동자들을 보호하기 위한 국제 사회의 숙원사업이었다.

 

물론 현재 상당수의 국가에서 가사노동자를 보호하기 위한 제도들을 마련하고 있다. 그러나 대한민국은 근로기준법 노동관계법령의 보호 대상에서 가사노동자를 명시적으로 배제하고 있다. 가사노동자도 보호를 받을 있도록 하는 내용의 노동관계 법령 개정안이 국회에 계류 중이지만 감감 무소식이다. 국내에도 30~60 명의 가사노동자들이 있지만 이들을 보호하기 위한 어떠한 조치도 취해지지 않고 있다.

 

이번 ‘가사노동협약’의 채택을 계기로 정부는 가사노동자들을 보호하기 위한 적극적이고 신속한 조치를 취해야 한다. 우선 ‘가사노동협약’이 국내에서 적용되기 위해서는 협약 가입 비준 절차가 필요하다. 한국 정부가 가사노동자의 보호 필요성을 공감하며 협약 채택에 찬성표를 던진 만큼 서둘러 협약 가입 비준을 위한 절차를 진행할 것과 협약과 상충되는 국내 법령을 속히 정비할 것을 촉구하는 바이다.

 

 

2011 6 17

 

민주사회를 위한 변호사모임

 

Burmese domestic workers celebrate ILO Convention 189

16th June 2011

MAP Foundation: Press Release

Migrant Domestic Workers Celebrate News of the ILO Convention  189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

Burmese domestic workers are celebrating in Chiang Mai on hearing that today, June 16th 2011, the International Labour Organization has adopted Convention 189: Decent Work for Domestic Workers at the 100th Session of the ILO Conference.  Said HsengMoon, a domestic worker who has been working in Thailand for nearly ten years, 밯ell, I know that I뭭e been working for many years, but now everybody knows that it was work! And hopefully that means we, domestic workers, will get some respect now.� There were 396 votes in favour, 16 against and 63 abstentions.

The draft Convention includes setting standards for working and living conditions, and guaranteeing domestic workers the right to collective bargaining. If Thailand adjusts its laws to comply with this Convention it will make a huge difference to the lives of domestic workers who currently face daily exploitation and abuse at work. The following stories were told to MAP Foundation as we collected information for our upcoming report 밪tepping into the Light�.

밒 started work as a domestic worker as soon as I arrived in Chiang Mai. My employer did not allow me to sit during working hours and forced me to work all the time.  The worst part is I had no time to go to the toilet and if I tried the employer shouted at me through the door.  Although I worked 12 hours per day, she paid me very little and I had no holiday. Finally I couldn뭪 withstand the conditions any longer so I left.� 

Ma Myo, another domestic worker, experienced similar exploitation in Phang Nga밒 had difficulty in communicating with my employer because of the language barrier. I had to help in the kitchen, cleaning the 3 story house up and down for the whole day. I had to wake up at 5:00 am in the morning and work for the whole day until 9:00 pm at night. Then I also had to massage the employer every night and went to bed after 10:00 pm. I got only 2500 Baht for my monthly salary. I worked there for over one year. They also deducted 500 Baht  out of my salary for my work permit.  I couldn't bear the burden any longer, so I left the house. 

All ILO Conventions are said to protect all workers including migrants, but this one, has also added a special clause to guarantee this protection calling on members to cooperate with each other to ensure the effective application of the provision of the convention for migrant domestic workers. Also of particular importance to migrant domestic workers is Article 9 which calls on members to ensure that domestic workers are entitled to keep possession of their travel and identity documents. (Report IV (2B) Decent Work for Domestic Workers, ILO 100th Session 2011).

Domestic workers in Thailand will be watching carefully to see how the Royal Thai Government plans to move forward and will be offering their assistance to help make a reality Article 8 which calls on members to take measures to ensure that domestic workers enjoy effective protection against all forms of abuse, harassment and violence. A protection sadly lacking today and desperately needed to prevent situations like these from happening in the future:

One young migrant domestic worker was employed in a luxurious apartment in Bangkok by a Thai man. Six domestic workers had already run away from his employment. The man, paralysed from the waist down, made his assistant rape her while he watched. He also made the assistant beat her, spit on her face, urinate on her, and push her.  During the working day, she was only allowed to crawl on her knees and was forced to do so until her knees were swollen.

 In June 2010 with assistance from local organisations she managed to escape. Another young woman told 밪tepping into the Light� of her experience in Phang Nga

I came out to Thailand with my husband and worked as a domestic worker in a household.  I worked in the house without receiving any break while the gardener had the opportunity to take a rest from time-to-time. The employer said the housework was not so difficult or hard as to require rest.  I was given 67 USD (2000 THB) for my salary while the gardener received 83 USD (2500 THB).  One day the employer sexually harassed me, so I told my husband and left the job. 

MAP Foundation together with the network of domestic workers congratulates the Royal Thai Government and all members of the ILO on realising an important, ground breaking piece of international legislation which has the potential to bring an end to the exploitation and abuse that domestic workers have faced for so long. We sincerely hope that the Royal Thai Government will move quickly to make the necessary changes to the national  laws and policies to protect local and migrant domestic workers in Thailand. We also hope that the Royal Thai Government will dedicate time and resources to raising awareness among domestic workers and the employers of domestic workers about the labour rights and protections guaranteed in the ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

 

For more information, contact  

Jackie Pollock: 086 090 4118

Naruedee Janthasing: 089 758 8717

Rujisa Sanwee: 086 921 9139

Organisation Contact Details:

Map Foundation
63/30 Umong Soi 4 Moo 8

A.Moung Chiangmai

50200 THAILAND                 

Tel/Fax: 66 53 811 202           

Email: map@mapfoundationcm.org
Website: http://www.mapfoundationcm.org/

 

ILO Convention 189: A New Era for Domestic Workers

On June 16th at 11:43am Geneva time, history was made at the 100th 
International Labour Conference, as the International Labour 
Organization adopted Convention 189: Decent Work for Domestic Workers 
with 396 voting in favour, 16 against and 63 abstentions. This is a 
turning point in the history of the world of work, and will change the 
lives of at least 100 million workers globally.

An historic moment for domestic workers 뾗his long overdue recognition 
of domestic work as work legitimizes the claims of domestic workers to 
dignity in the workplace, respects their labour rights, and renders 
them visible to authorities tasked with ensuring that labour standards 
are enforced. This Convention recognizes the need for a reinvention 
of the way our societies view domestic work. Employers have a range 
of ideas about who domestic workers are � they are variously seen as 
몊ervants,� 멻elpers,� 멵aregivers,� 몀aids,� and even 몀embers of the 
family.� Few recognize the inherent problems with these labels. 
Casting domestic workers as anything other than workers invites 
employers and states to justify all manner of unjust, disrespectful, 
undignified, inhuman, violent, and now illegal treatment to which 
workers in other sectors are not subjected.

An historic moment for workers in the informal sector � The emergence 
of the modern informal sector is a response to the rise of the 
neoliberal economic system, which relies on the exploitation of 
low-skilled and marginalized workers for its survival. Workers have 
long struggled to realize their rights under this system with the 
consistent support of the ILO. The recent economic crisis has thrown 
world economies into chaos, adversely affecting the lives of millions 
of workers. This Convention represents the hope of those workers who 
continue to struggle that their rights to decent work will someday 
also be realized.

An historic moment for women � The establishment of this Convention is 
a milestone in the long struggle for women뭩 rights. It challenges 
the notion that women domestic workers simply carry out the caring 
functions for which they are naturally suited, and for which the 
normal rules governing work should not apply. It is a step towards 
remedying long-standing stereotypes and inequalities by setting 
minimum standards of employment and affording due consideration of the 
feminization of this workforce.

An historic moment for civil society � Labour unions, workers� groups, 
women뭩 groups, social movements, and other civil society actors must 
understand this as an opportunity to reinvent themselves. The 
Convention opens the door for these groups to come together to develop 
new strategies for organizing, freedom of association, collective 
bargaining, and advocacy for rights at work.

While we celebrate this historic moment, we also know that there are 
many challenges to face in our struggle to ensure that these rights, 
now enshrined in Convention form, are upheld, protected, and defended. 
 To seize this opportunity, we call on all advocates to use the 
Convention as a tool to advocate for the long overdue rights of 
domestic workers, to raise consciousness of the need for social 
change, and to make meaningful improvements to the lives of domestic 
workers, reaffirming that Domestic Work is Work, Domestic Workers are 
Workers, and Domestic Work is not Slavery!


Courage, Peace, Power in a life full of meaning,

William Gois

--
Migrant Forum in Asia
Regional Coordinator
85-C Masikap Extension, Central District
Diliman, Quezon City 1100 Philippines
Telephone: (+63 2) 928-2740
Telefax:  (+63 2) 433-3508
Mobile:  (+63) 921-540-5063
Email:   mfa@pacific.net.hk
Web: www.mfasia.org