The International Labor Organization, a
U.N. agency that deals with international labor standards, has
adopted the International Convention on Domestic Workers. The
convention is a legal tool that aims to improve working conditions
and enforce the rights of domestic workers, many of whom are
migrants.
The standards set by the convention
state that domestic workers must be given the same rights as other
workers, including reasonable work hours, clear information on the
terms of employment, 24 consecutive hours of rest per week, a limit
on payment in-kind, the right to collective bargaining, and freedom
of association. Migrant domestic workers are often subjected to
severe exploitation and sexual abuse, but many are afraid to report
their situation to the authorities out of fear of deportation.
Countries that unleash brutal exploitation of workers across the
world, such as the United States, have disregarded the U.N. in the
past. Only a united international working class, not the U.N., can
defend the rights of workers.
