While I understand the Philippines Government's position against wage cuts for maids in Hong Kong, I sometimes wonder how it can take a strong stand when the country itself treats its maids like third-class citizens.
Maids (or katulongs) in the Philippines are one of the lowest-paid groups of workers in the country. Not only that, the Government has not taken any concrete measures to recognise their rights. Verbal contracts are usually made between the employer and the employee, thus leaving the katulong open to abuse.
In the 10 years I have been visiting the Philippines, I have not seen any major effort on the part of the Government to recognise maids as a valuable part of the local economy. I have also not seen any mass protests from the Filipino people to protect maids' rights and ensure their salaries keep up with the increasing costs in the country.
This has resulted in a huge discrepancy in wealth between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots', with most domestic helpers making a minimum wage of 1,500 pesos a month (about HK$230). That equates to roughly 60 pesos a day (based on a 30-day month, with Sunday off), far below the minimum wage of 230 pesos per day in the Philippines.
I would like to know how Filipinos, in general, feel about the maids' situation in their country. Do they plan to increase their wages to at least the minimum wage, to enable them to remit enough cash to their families in the provinces, as maids in Hong Kong are doing? This question also applies to Filipino maids working in the SAR who employ katulongs back home, since they themselves know that 1,500 pesos a month is not enough to survive on in that country.
Let's stop the hypocrisy and treat all maids equally, regardless of which country they are in.