Britain bails out of domestic worker treaty

Louise Nousratpour
Wednesday June 15, 2011
The Morning Star

THE government refused today to sign an international labour treaty aimed at improving protection for exploited domestic workers.

A spokesman for the Departmant for Business, Innovations and Skills (BIS) revealed that Britain will be abstaining from a vote on whether to adopt the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) new Domestic Worker Convention.

Representatives from national governments have been meeting in Geneva to discuss the details of the guidelines, with a final vote taking place tomorrow.

But the department spokesman insisted that Britain already provided "comprehensive protections to domestic workers and we do not consider it appropriate or practical to extend criminal health and safety law, including inspections, to private households employing domestic workers.

"However, we do strongly support the principles the ILO treaty enshrines."

Campaigners and unions condemned the government's "spineless" stance on the issue and dismissed its claim that domestic workers were already protected by law.

They pointed to mounting evidence that many were being ill treated and denied the minimum wage, with employers facing no retribution.

In more extreme cases, domestic workers suffered physical and sexual abuse and were treated like slaves without pay or holidays.

Anti-Slavery International spokeswoman Audrey Guichon said that Britain's decision not to ratify the treaty meant that "it does not think domestic workers are 'real' workers, deserving of the same protections as everyone else.

"The vast majority of countries are expected to vote in favour of this convention and the UK will be standing alone in not supporting what would be an internationally accepted minimum standard of protection of domestic workers' rights."

Unite union assistant general secretary Diana Holland said: "Domestic workers are excluded from basic working rights and face the real threat of abuse such as insults, threats, alongside physical and even sexual abuse.

"This convention is a real step forward for justice for these domestic workers."

Ms Holland demanded that Britan supports the treaty.

She also called on ministers to "lift the threat to the overseas domestic worker visa, which ended modern day slavery in this country and offers essential protections but is now poised to go."