TOWARDS
PROMOTION
OF
DECENT
WORK
FOR
MIGRANT
DOMESTIC WORKERS ALONG THE SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE AND
LESOTHO CORRIDOR, Stay City Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa, 10th11th October, 2014
We, trade union organizations representing domestic workers’ organizations from
South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe have met in Johannesburg, South Africa from
10th-11th October, 2014 to deliberate on decent work challenges/ deficits faced by
migrant domestic workers and their families. We have met to discuss strategies to
promote the human and labour rights of migrant domestic workers along the LesothoZimbabwe-South Africa corridor and develop action plans that would contribute to
the promotion of decent work in this sector.
i.
Realising that:
Domestic work involves migrant labour in many regions and countries across the
world, mostly women, considering that the work is traditionally a female-dominated
occupation and women represent nearly half of the total population of international
migrants worldwide. One of the workshop presentations has shown that worldwide,
there are 53 million domestic workers and 83% of the domestic workers are women,
and approximately 17 to 25 million female migrants work in the domestic service
sector.
ii.
Further noting that:
Migrant domestic workers are more exposed than nationals to vulnerabilities and
violations of human and labour rights, especially due to disadvantages that stem from
their low-status, absence of social and/or legal protection and assistance mechanisms
in destination and sending countries, their migration status, and the negative
implications that are associated with the informality of domestic work.
Also noting that migrant domestic workers are excluded from our national labour
legislations and that the unions organising these workers have no sufficient resources
to mobilise and educate their members.
iii.
We affirm :
The following key principles enshrined in several ILO Declarations and International
Labour Standards specifically in Convention no: 189 and Recommendation No: 201:

Human rights including International Labour Standards are the overall
framework for the protection of all workers, including migrant domestic
workers

Domestic work is work with value

Domestic workers have human and labour rights independently from their
nationality, sex, ethnicity and socio-economic background.
a) Also recognizing that:

The specific nature of domestic work, specifically the unique needs and
vulnerable, irregular status of migrant workers exposes them to risk of
exploitation and abuse.

While there is a landmark treaty, C189 which was passed and adopted by
the ILO conference in Geneva on 16 June 2011, only one (1) out of the
three countries has ratified C189;

That the ILO initiated Decent Work country programmes is a foundation
for the fight to improve the conditions for migrant domestic workers;

That our lack of cooperation as countries and lack of review
,implementation and monitoring of migration policies and legislation
continues to negate the progress towards achieving decent work for
migrant domestic workers;
b) We appreciate

The goals outlined in the ILO Global Action Programme on Migrant
Domestic Workers and Their Families, the studies commissioned by ILO
department do an in depth country profile on Migrant Domestic Workers
c) And therefore resolve to:

Support and strengthen capacity of national unions for domestic and
migrant domestic workers;

Lobby the Heads of State of South Africa, Lesotho and Zimbabwe through
the Employment labour Sector (ELS) to ratify and implement C189;

Lobby our three governments to continue to implement their decent work
country programmes incorporating rights of migrant workers; and

That where domestic and migrant domestic workers are not organised, we
must establish domestic workers unions;

Ensure that domestic workers organised and support migrant domestic
workers
d) And also resolve to use the following approaches: That

We request ILO, ITUC, IDWF to provide technical and financial support
to our Federations and affiliates responsible for organizing and protecting
the rights of domestic workers;

We must popularize C189 through electronic and print media;

Should always include participation of representatives from the respective
domestic workers affiliate unions.

Agreed to strengthen cooperation between unions in the 3 countries.

To mobilise support from other unions within our own countries and
federations.