BEIRUT
— Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon are set to protect their rights
under a trade union — the first such syndicate in the Arab world where
more than 2.4 million foreign domestic workers labor under often harsh
conditions.
The
Labor Ministry said Monday they received a proposal from the National
Federation of Labor Unions to form the syndicate in Lebanon. Migrant
workers in Lebanon — mostly from Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines
— have fallen victim to unpaid wages, forced labor and even physical
and sexual abuse.
At
the root of the problem is the "kafala" system, or employee sponsorship
arrangement inspired by Gulf Arab countries. Those systems hold the
employer legally responsible for their migrant employee. Under this
arrangement, domestic workers must rely on employers for their right to
live and work in the country.
"We
are trying to change the 'kafala' system so we can have steady salaries
and fixed work hours," said Sujana Rana, a 36-year-old domestic worker
from Nepal.
An
amateur video showing a suicidal Ethiopian maid jumping from the
fourth-floor balcony of her employer's apartment last November
highlighted the level of desperation of some domestic workers in
Lebanon.
"They
are trapped by the 'kafala' system," said Nadim Houry of Human Rights
Watch. "In this case it was someone who tried to kill herself and in
other cases people are falling to their deaths because they are trying
to escape from apartments."
The
Labor Ministry will study the proposal determine whether the union's
status is covered by the law, said Marlene Atallah, head of the
ministry's foreign workers division.
"We are trying to help these women but there are obstacles," she said.
According
to the Lebanese labor code, foreign workers cannot create their own
union. However, domestic workers may belong to a new housekeepers union
as long as it includes some Lebanese members.
"It's
a big step forward," said Lily Jacqueline, a 49-year-old maid from
Madagascar. "Maybe we could have a common contract for all domestic
workers and force employers to abide by it."
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/02/world/middleeast/ap-ml-lebanon-domestic-workers.html?_r=0
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