Letters | Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong want to be seen for more than the job we do
- Readers discuss the general attitude towards migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, and how regulation should offer protection equally to both employers and helpers
Migrant domestic workers are human beings too. Our stories deserve to be heard and understood. Some stories include maltreatment by employers, discrimination, sexual abuse and termination of employment contracts for being pregnant.
Every day, we experience discrimination in society. We notice how some people react when they see foreign domestic workers on public transport – as if we have a transferable disease.
No matter how knowledgeable we are about our rights, it is hard to speak up. We are scared to complain. We struggle with language barriers so we can’t understand others and express ourselves clearly.
Some employers declare to the Immigration Department that their domestic helpers have a room to stay in. But in reality, the workers sleep on a folding bed in a small living room, the kitchen or even near the toilet. Some workers are given only leftover food to eat, some are not allowed to use the washing machine, and some are expected to wake up at 6am, take only five minutes for lunch, and work until 11pm.