Colombo (AsiaNews) - In Sri Lanka there are about 87 thousand domestic workers, of which nearly 60 thousand women. Most do not have regular employment contracts and does not enjoy legislative protection and union representation.
Therefore, on the occasion of the Day for Dignified Work, on October 7, the Solidarity Center and the Ceylon Mercantile, Industrial and General Workers' Union [CMU, one of the largest unions in the country's trade - ed ] they have decided to initiate a program to provide help and improve the situation of domestic workers in the country.
Sylvester Jayakody (v. Photo), CMU general secretary, told AsiaNews: "The protection of domestic workers has become an urgent issue that can no longer be put off. Often they are exploited by employers, they receive low wages, work long hours and face harassment and physical violence. We need to focus on the organization, to ensure decent working conditions. "
The program is called "Empowering and Organizing Domestic Workers" (strengthen and organize domestic workers). "In our country - said the union - there are hundreds of ads for domestic workers. This is the best time to organize them correctly, give greater dignity to their profession within society". "Today we are witnessing frequent phenomena of mistreatment. Ensuring their protection as human beings, meets the objectives of our own union, which is not only a union of workers. Our first responsibility is to protect them and make them stronger. We can start with seminars in which we explain our mission".
The Secretary-General explains how overseas domestic workers are protected by appropriate laws and independent unions mediate their claims before the governments. "All this does not take place in Sri Lanka. We too - he admits - as CMU we just interested in the sector. But now we begin the program with the Solidary Center ".
Jayakody concludes: "Being able to live and maintain oneself in one’s own country rather than having to go to work abroad, away from family and loved ones, is of incalculable value. Not only that, frequently those who go abroad must also pay employment agencies which provide places of employment. Sometimes they have to give the equivalent of a month's salary. Our aim is different. We want to give value, dignity, protection and respect. "
The cost of training will depend on the salary of each staff worker: for example, those earning 5 thousand Sri Lankan rupees a month [31 euro] will pay 25 rupees [€ 0.15]; those who earn 30 thousand rupees [€ 190] will pay 175 rupees [€ 1.10].