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.
Life as a migrant domestic worker is restrictive. Some employers say, “You are just a helper.” But we are not just helpers. We are also daughters, sisters and mothers. Some of us are leaders and accomplished writers, poets, photographers, artists and entrepreneurs.
Our hard work should be appreciated, and we deserve to be treated with respect. A kind, simple gesture from the employer after a long and tiring day goes a long way.
We also need employers to understand how hard it is for many of us who are mothers. We leave our children and loved ones behind to care for other children. It means a lot to be allowed family time. As mothers, we yearn for updates from our kids when they get back from school.
As we celebrate International Domestic Workers Day on June 16, I would like to say to my fellow domestic workers: the world may not be as we expect. The people around us may not be what we want them to be. But we can make a change. Speak up and take action. Let us be the change we want to see in the world.
Ailenemae Ramos, PathFinders ambassador
Extend protection not only to employers
During a Legislative Council meeting in February, legislator Elizabeth Quat said some domestic workers did not match their “product descriptions” as they were incapable of delivering what they said they could do.
While it is important to refine our laws to protect employers, we also need to protect employees – referring to them as products rather than people does not help in this regard.
The contract period is set at two years. Once the contract is terminated, helpers must leave Hong Kong within 14 days to prevent them from changing employers frequently.
Tight legislation is necessary as it is not only time-consuming for employers to find another suitable helper, but it also means that they have to buy another air ticket and pay the agency fee again to hire another helper, not to mention all the unfinished chores at home. However, can we also do more to protect helpers?
Such ambiguous contracts coupled with low salaries not only put these women in an unequal, vulnerable and helpless situation, but also leave room for exploitation and abuse.
We are exploiting other countries’ poverty and cheap labour while enjoying our comforts. Imagine being far from home, living with a boss from a different culture and working round the clock with no personal privacy. We must not allow Hong Kong’s domestic workers to become symbols of modern slavery. Speaking of them as mere products demeans them and our city.
If Hong Kong aims to be an open, progressive and fair society, shouldn’t our review consider working conditions and salaries and not just employer convenience? We have paid too little attention to domestic helpers’ well-being.
Christopher Ip, North Point
