Oxfam calls for inclusion of 4 million domestic workers in labour law

Oxfam in Bangladesh called for recognition of nearly 4 million Domestic Workers (DW) in Bangladesh as 'workers' by including them in labor law.

The organization organization raised nine demands during a rally, demonstration, discussion meeting, and cultural program in Rajshahi to protect domestic workers' rights. More than 200 domestic workers, government officials, development institution officials, journalists, and people from various professions joined these events in Rajshahi on Monday.

The nine demands raised by Oxfam and DW are include ensuring the rights and protection of domestic workers by including the domestic work profession in labor law, ensuring the social status and state recognition of domestic workers, banning child labor in domestic work, stop all forms of abuse against domestic workers, establishing fixed working hours, weekly holidays, and minimum wages, properly implementing the 'Policy on Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers 2015,' ratifying ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, taking proactive measures to protect the dignity and rights of domestic workers, and ensuring the speedy punishment of abusers of domestic workers.

Before that, Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr. Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir inaugurated the rally and demonstration. He said, "Domestic workers are not isolated and are not outsider of the society. We have seen that domestic workers are deprived of their basic rights, subjected to discrimination and torture, and do not receive proper justice. Our domestic workers do not receive any appointment letter during employment. They don't even have maternity leave. It is not possible to ensure sustainable development by leaving domestic workers behind. So, everyone needs to work to involve domestic workers in sensitive behavior and institutionalized professions.'

Marjina Sultana, a domestic worker, said at the demonstration, "We take care of your family and your home, but we don't get the respect or wages we deserve. 93 percent of domestic workers in this country don't get any maternity leave. We are always face difficulties to get legal support. We work as workers, but we can't call ourselves 'workers' because we are not included in the labor law. Our only demand is to include domestic work in the labor law."   

After the rally and demonstration, a round table discussion meeting titled, "Establishing the Rights of Women Domestic Workers: Challenges and Actions" organized. A keynote presentation shared by Tarek Aziz, Programme Coordinator of Oxfam in Bangladesh, where he highlighting the World Bank's 2021 data and said, "The value of the work of 4 million domestic workers in the country is about 4 billion dollars. Which is not included in GDP. Also, according to the findings of the 2022 study conducted by Suniti Project, 84 percent of domestic workers in the country live below the poverty line. 87 percent of non-residential/part-time domestic workers do not get any weekend off. 93 percent do not get maternity leave and no domestic worker has employment letter.'

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration and Finance), Mr. Md. Rashidul Hasan, PPM, took part as the chief guest at the roundtable discussion meeting. He urged civil society, along with public and private sectors, to take coordinated initiatives to ensure the social status of domestic workers.

Along with others,  ATM Golam Mahbub, Deputy Director of Youth Development Department, Deputy Director of Divisional Education Department Md. Shafiqul Islam, Sujon president Safiuddin Ahmed, Rasik Councilor Kamruzzaman Kamru, Kulsum Khatun, Jannatul Ferdous on behalf of housekeepers and other professionals took part in the meeting.

Since 2011, International Domestic Workers Day has been celebrated on June 16 to protect domestic workers. This year, Oxfam is conducting month-long campaigns and activities across different regions of the country. Through the Suniti project, launched in 2020, Oxfam aims to include domestic workers in the country's labor laws. Currently, about 18,000 women in this profession are working to improve their skills, create better job opportunities, and enhance their overall quality of life by developing their professional and life skills with the support of Oxfam.