Domestic helpers on the march in Hong Kong to demand better living and working conditions
Ahead of International Domestic Workers’ Day, migrant body calls on government to include provisions in employment contracts for ‘humane and safe’ accommodation and standard rest hours
About 30 domestic workers and their supporters in Hong Kong marched from Admiralty MTR station to the nearby government headquarters on Thursday to demand better living and working conditions ahead of International Domestic Workers’ Day on Saturday.
The body’s spokeswoman, Dolores Balladares, said helpers typically had to work 12 to 16 hours a day, and be on call for 24 hours, and some could not even rest properly in the short time they had.
“Some domestic workers are sleeping along the corridors, in toilets, on top of the washing machines and even on the rooftop in a building where the employer’s home is located,” she said.
“How can we do our work if we cannot rest properly?”
As such, the group called for “suitable accommodation” to be defined in employment contracts, and for the documents to list what is unsuitable, such as toilets, kitchens and balconies.