I refer to the report headlined, 'Maids to fight maternity proposal' (South China Morning Post, August 2).
Undoubtedly, maternity protection is essential. The reduction of maternity provision is sexist and in contravention of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Women.
However, I wonder if others in Hong Kong would disagree with me that imported domestic helpers are already sufficiently protected by our government.
Their pay is the highest in Asia and they enjoy benefits that even some of their employers don't, such as medical and dental, and a gratuity after they have been working at the same household for more than four years.
A minority of these women become close friends with their employers, particularly in cases where they are involved with looking after family members as well as doing household chores.
Personally, I feel that the law ought to protect this group of employed women.
However, also related to this issue are instances such as the case of some of my friends and relatives whose domestic helpers arrived in Hong Kong with decayed teeth; they could not work properly until they had received dental treatment.
