Current Situations of the Migrant Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong

Jakcie:Any Demography?

1. Striving for right to abode in Hong Kong

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Helpers chase a permanent place in city Some of about 290,000 domestic workers could become permanent residents if five Filipinos are successful in a judicial review in the High Court next month. The five have lived in Hong Kong for more than seven years and are challenging the Immigration Ordinance. One of their legal representatives said yesterday the ordinance does not follow the Basic Law, which grants those who have lived in the SAR for seven years the right to apply for permanent residency. One of the group, he said, has worked here for 25 years and applied without success for permanent residence in According to the ordinance, domestic workers do not qualify for permanent residence irrespective of their length of stay. But Article 24 of the Basic Law states that those who have entered with valid travel documents and have been residents for a continuous period of at least seven years can become permanent residents. University of Hong Kong social work and social administration professor Leung Cho-bun said most domestic helpers are young, and should they get permanent residence they would likely quit household work and try to enter the broad job market. That would put them in direct competition with locals. (Standard News, )

2. Striving for wage of dignity

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Live-in maids, student interns not covered by minimum wage bill The statutory minimum wage bill will not include live-in domestic helpers and student interns and is to be submitted to the Legislative Council next month. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung said these workers also enjoyed free accommodation, food, medical treatment and passage from and to their home countries. "To provide additional safeguards, the government has, since the early 1970s, prescribed for foreign domestic helpers a minimum allowable wage, currently at HK$3,580,“…… The Asian Migrant Workers Credit Union said it was still considering whether to seek a judicial review against the government (South China Morning Post, )

Gi Estrada, Area Coordinator of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants ''We view these recommendations as unjust, discriminatory and anti-migrant. In effect it allows employers to let FDHs work for 16 hours a day as this is the basis of the board in concluding that they would be paid HK$12,480 a month. This is slave-like to say the least and they are on 24-hour call. But more than that, workers of all nationalities in Hong Kong and elsewhere should be given wages that will provide them and their families with a decent way of living unlike those who adhere to free-market policies who share the opposite view. '' (Standard News, )

"We will launch a legal battle against the government on the grounds of discrimination if migrant workers are not included by the statutory minimum wage," union co-ordinator Sari Canate Jotojot said. She also said the government should prescribe standard working hours for foreign domestic helpers as the minimum wage was calculated on an hourly basis. The union said it would write to the government seeking a meeting. "We are not too worried that the employment opportunities of migrant workers will be affected if they are covered by the statutory minimum wage, as there is a strong demand for their services in Hong Kong. It is more important to protect workers' rights," Ms Jotojot said. (South China Morning Post, ) Group ready to challenge minimum wage law

Foreign maids win pay rise Pay for Hong Kong's army of foreign domestic helpers goes up by HK$160 to HK$3,740 from today. The 4.5 percent increase is their biggest lift in years, though it does no more than keep pace with inflation. Additionally, a food allowance was raised by HK$25, or 3.3 percent, to HK$775 a month. Group spokeswoman Eni Lestari, who is also chairwoman of the Association of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong, said: ``It's better than last year, but in 1998 the wage was HK$3,860 and [goods then] were not as expensive as now.'' She added: ``We may have more money but we can buy less things. HK$4,000 should be the minimum wage. The government owes [us] a lot.'‘…… The government has frozen the levy until July 30, 2013, to ease inflationary pressure on employers. Balladares also said the increased food allowance would only impact ``1 percent of helpers.'' (Standard News, )

3. Striving for Rights and Respect

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Home helpers deserve a law There are around 2.6 million domestic workers in Indonesia, and, as in Hong Kong, these workers play a vital role in the household and overall economy. Yet Amnesty International has received many reports of domestic workers in Indonesia being subjected to physical and psychological abuse, as well as economic exploitation. Domestic workers are isolated, work out of the public eye, and have low social status. And, they do not receive the same legal protection as other workers under Indonesia's Manpower Act, such as a reasonable limitation on working hours, and holidays. The drafting of a domestic workers protection bill was scheduled for last year, but has been repeatedly postponed. (Sarah Carmichael, Amnesty International Hong Kong, edited by South China Morning Post, )

Irrational Angers towards domestic Helpers

Vicky Casia said some employers have changed their attitudes toward their helpers. Leny Galima said her employer was understanding but she experienced hatred on the street. ``Someone shouted `Filipinos are rubbish' at me,'' she said. ``I felt bad and sad.'' Lucy Aquino said she tried to hide the fact she was Filipino when she took her employer's parents to hospital (Standard News, )