(ILO Bangkok) – Governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations in Thailand will take part in a formal consultation on the creation of a ground-breaking, international labour standard that would cover millions of domestic workers worldwide.

In Thailand, as in many other countries, a lack of formal protection for domestic workers has been a long-standing concern of many human and labour rights organizations; domestic work is frequently not perceived as ‘employment’.

In response to these concerns the International Labour Organization (ILO)¹ has placed the issue on the agenda of 2010 International Labour Conference (ILC) with a view to the creation of a new international Convention or Recommendation. A consultation is scheduled to take place next week in Bangkok to prepare Thailand’s position for this international debate.

The National Consultation on Decent Work for Domestic Workers will take place on Thursday 10 September. The meeting will bring together senior representatives from the Royal Thai Government, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society groups, and others. They will examine Thailand’s current laws and practices relating to the protection of domestic workers – both Thai and foreign.

Media representatives are invited to attend the consultation’s opening session, at the First Hotel, Petchburi Road (near Phaya Thai Road), from 8:30 am on Thursday 10 September. Some participants will be available for interview during the morning break. Translation will be provided.

Background

Paid domestic work remains a virtually invisible form of employment in many countries and thus many domestic workers endure very poor working conditions, including underpayment of wages, long working hours, inadequate privacy and the threat of sexual harassment. In more extreme cases domestic workers are found in conditions akin to forced or slave labour. When domestic workers are young this kind of employment is synonymous with a worst form of child labour.

Domestic workers - whether national or migrant - have limited bargaining power, cannot use social services and often can not complain about abusive conditions. Migrant domestic workers are doubly victimized, suffering not only from poor conditions but also from the pervasive irregularity of their work status, and the unsympathetic attitudes of the authorities and the public towards migrants in general.

In fact domestic workers – Thai and foreign – add value to a nation’s economy. As more Thai women join the formal labour market the need for domestic assistance from non-family members is on the rise.

In many countries there is now an active call – often driven by the trade union movement and civil society groups - for the improvement of working conditions for adults in domestic work, the protection of young people in and removal of young children from such occupations.

The International Labour Office in Asia and the Pacific is working with ILO constituents to help them prepare for the 2010 ILC discussions that will take place in Geneva. To guide the June 2010 discussions a report on the law and practice relating to domestic work in countries worldwide, along with a questionnaire, has been sent to ILO member States.

For further information please contact:

Mr. Allan Dow
Communications and Advocacy Officer
International Labour Organization
Tel: +66 (0)89 891 5003, E-Mail

Ms. Jittima Srisuknam, Programme Officer for Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 288 1739, E-Mail

¹ The ILO is the United Nations body that deals with work and workplace issues. Its unique tripartite membership structure brings together Governments, Workers’ and Employers’ Organizations from more than 180 member countries.