Making History through Policy: A Field Report on the International Domestic Workers Movement

2015 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 156-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer N. Fish

AbstractPaid household labor has fertilized the development of national economies, while also nourishing the capitalist labor systems that has allowed globalization to thrive. However, this transnational sector has remained historically invisible, devalued, and unprotected from national and international legislative frameworks. In 2010, the International Labor Organization (ILO) finally embraced this challenge through two years of negotiations on the world's first international convention to assure “Decent Work for Domestic Workers.” These tripartite debates set the stage for the largest inclusion of “actual workers” in policy making. The debates also mobilized the world's first international domestic workers’ movement. This report from the field highlights a distinct process whereby workers themselves played a pivotal role in the creation of international labor policy. According to International Domestic Workers Federation president Myrtle Witbooi, this “new beginning” set “a benchmark for decent work and social equality.”

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-133
Author(s):  
Kartika Dewi Mulyanto

The existence of domestic workers or better known as domestic workers is no stranger to the life of Indonesian society. Domestic worker is a job that provides services to a family to do homework such as cooking, cleaning house, washing clothes and others. However, because there is no regulation that regulates domestic workers maximally, and there are often different degrees between employers and workers, there is a lot of violence against domestic workers. In 2011, the International Labor Organization issued an ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers. This Convention as evidence that domestic workers need to be legally protected as human beings with human rights. Based on the result of the research, it can be concluded that the act of ratification of ILO Convention No. 189 of 2011 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers needs to be done, in an effort to increase the protection of domestic workers' rights law, to increase the economy of domestic workers, and to raise the social status of domestic workers Indonesia. Abstrak Keberadaan pekerja rumah tangga atau yang lebih dikenal sebagai pembantu rumah tangga sudah tidak asing lagi dalam kehidupan masyarakat Indonesia. Pekerja rumah tangga merupakan suatu pekerjaan yang memberikan jasa kepada suatu keluarga untuk mengerjakan pekerjaan rumah seperti memasak, membersihakan rumah, mencuci baju dan yang lainnya. Namun karena belum ada regulasi yang mengatur pekerja rumah tangga secara maksimal, dan sering terjadi perbedaan derajat antara majikan dan pekerja, maka banyak terjadi kekerasan terhadap pekerja rumah tangga. Pada tahun 2011, International Labour Organization mengeluarkan suatu Konvensi ILO Nomor 189 tentang Pekerjaan yang Layak bagi Pekerja Rumah Tangga. Konvensi ini sebagai bukti bahwa pekerja rumah tangga perlu mendapat perlindungan secara hukum sebagai manusia yang memiliki hak asasi manusia. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa tindakan ratifikasi Konvensi ILO Nomor 189 tahun 2011 tentang Pekerjaan yang Layak bagi Pekerja Rumah Tangga perlu dilakukan, sebagai upaya peningkatan perlindungan hukum hak-hak pekerja rumah tangga, peningkatkan ekonomi pekerja rumah tangga, serta menaikkan status sosial pekerja rumah tangga Indonesia.


1934 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 909-918
Author(s):  
Francis G. Wilson

It has long been recognized by students of labor economics that a high standard of living has definite international implications. Since early in the nineteenth century, the advocates of labor reform have attempted to stimulate international action which might bring about a simultaneous elevation of the condition of the workers in order to avoid the use of labor as a factor in competition. For nearly a century now, the international treaty has been pressed as the most suitable means of avoiding competitive disadvantage as a result of social changes, and the International Labor Organization, founded by Part XIII of the Treaty of Versailles, is the fruit of this agitation. It is natural, therefore, that any country seeking to maintain high labor standards should welcome ultimately the possibility of international action in defense of its effort.


Author(s):  
Samir Amine ◽  
Wilner Predelus

The merit of employment regulations in a market economy is often measured by their effectiveness in facilitating job creation without jeopardizing the notion of “decent work,” as defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO). Consequently, the recent literature on employment legislation has extensively focused on the flexibility of the labor market, as a fair middle ground is always necessary to avoid undue distortions that can negatively impact the economy and worker's wellbeing. This chapter analyzes the provisions of the labor law in Haiti and how it affects job security and flexibility to observe a flexible structure that rather benefits employers. Notably, labor law in Haiti may have in fact rendered workers more vulnerable because these labor legislations were enacted on the assumption that employers and workers are on the same footing when it comes to industrial relations, while historic facts do not support such an assumption.


Author(s):  
Rika Putri Subekti

The issue of domestic worker has not become governor of Indonesia policy priorities. This can be seen from the lack of a structure for the comprehensive and lack of regulations that provide solutions, as well as lack of supporting structure of the implementation. The Act of Manpower is not regulating specifically on the protection of domestic workers, especially for children. International Labor Organization Convention Number 189 concerning Decent Works for Domestic Worker, regulates the protection of domestic workers all over the world, however, Indonesia has not ratified this convention yet. This research is normative legal research that using statute and conceptual approach. Data collection techniques used in this study is literature study. The results of the study indicate that the regulation on the protection of child laborers employed as a domestic worker in Indonesia has not been regulated separately so that in the case of legal protection is not sufficient, in the case of law enforcement in case of violation of the law on the rights of the child. The urgency for the Government to immediately ratify ILO Convention No. 189 on Decent Work of Domestic Workers in order to establish a standard of employment for domestic workers as an effort to realize protection for domestic workers in general and for child domestic workers in particular. It is important for government to carry out the National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (RAN-WFCL) to prevent and eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Isu tentang Pekerja Rumah Tangga (PRT) belum menjadi suatu prioritas kebijakan pemerintah Indonesia. Hal ini terlihat dari belum adanya suatu struktur regulasi yang komprehensif dan solutif, disertai struktur pendukung dalam tataran implementasinya. Ketentuan Undang-Undang tentang Ketenagakerjaan belum mengatur secara khusus mengenai perlindungan terhadap pembantu rumah tangga khususnya bagi anak-anak. Namun telah ada konvensi internasional yang mengatur secara khusus tentang Pekerja Rumah Tangga (PRT) yaitu Konvensi ILO Nomor 189 tentang Kerja Layak Pembantu Rumah Tangga. Konvensi ini merupakan perlindungan bagi pembantu rumah tangga di seluruh dunia. Namun, hingga saat ini Indonesia belum meratifikasi konvensi tersebut. Jenis Penelitian ini adalah jenis penelitian hukum normatif. Jenis pendekatan yang digunakan adalah pendekatan perundang-undangan dan pendekatan konseptual. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah studi kepustakaan. Hasil Penelitian menunjukan bahwa pengaturan tentang perlindungan pekerja anak yang dipekerjakan sebagai pembantu rumah tangga di Indonesia belum diatur secara khusus sehingga dalam hal perlindungan hukum belum memadai. Urgensi bagi Pemerintah untuk segera meratifikasi Konvensi ILO Nomor 189 tentang Kerja Layak PRT dalam rangka menetapkan suatu standard ketenagakerjaan bagi PRT sebagai upaya mewujudkan perlindungan bagi PRT secara umum dan bagi PRT Anak pada khususnya. Upaya Pemerintah dalam mewujudkan perlindungan terhadap PRT Anak adalah dengan melakukan Rencana Aksi Nasional Penghapusan Bentuk-Bentuk Pekerjaan Terburuk Bagi Anak (RAN-BPTA) yang bertujuan untuk mencegah dan menghapus bentuk-bentuk pekerjaan terburuk untuk anak.


1949 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 532-536 ◽  

The thirty-second general conference of the International Labor Organization opened in Geneva on June 8,1949. The conference was to consider, among others, seven separate items: 1) a Polish resolution on wages; 2) an international convention on wages; 3) changes in the voting procedure; 4) two conventions on migratory employment; 5) a convention on working conditions; and 6) a formal recommendation on vocational training.


Author(s):  
Caroline Jacques ◽  
Max Richard Verginio ◽  
Dimas de Oliveira Estevam

Cooperativism is based on the principles of cooperatives. They are applied, in practice, the cooperative values of free association and democracy for its members and are based on the fundamental rights. However, in the last two decades, in Brazil, the cooperatives began to hire workers on a low wage salary in a continuous and accelerated process. Taking into consideration that the hiring of workers by the cooperativism was not considered by its founding members, the formal hiring generated by cooperatives, all around the world, has increased. It is important to mention that the fundamental working rights notions started to exist due to the emergence of the concept of Decent Work. This concept was formalized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 1999, with the aim of promoting quality work opportunities, under the conditions of human freedom, equity, security and dignity. They are considered essential conditions for overcoming poverty, reducing social inequalities, guaranteeing democratic governance and sustainable development. In the research carried out in Brazil about this subject, it was identified that the employment opportunities generated by the cooperatives are closer to the concept of Decent Work when compared to those generated by the private sector. Thus, the present article aims to identify the connection between cooperativism and Decent Work through a bibliometric revision of literature. The methodological process used in the research was the bibliometric approach by applying co-word analysis. From the results obtained, it was not possible to establish a direct connection between cooperativism and Decent Work.  Nevertheless, the connection was identified indirectly in the articles that focused on this theme. Even though, the focus was on the associated membership and not on the hired employees.


Author(s):  
Sanabil Almubidin

The International Labor Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency that sets international labor standards and promotes social protection and work opportunities for all. The ILO has 187 member states: 186 of the 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands are members of the ILO. The tripartite structure is unique to the ILO where representatives from the government, employers and employees openly debate and create labor standards. The International Labor Office is the permanent secretariat of the International Labor Organization. It is the focal point for International Labor Organization's overall activities, which it prepares under the scrutiny of the Governing Body and under the leadership of the Director-General. The Office employs some 2,700 officials from over 150 nations at its headquarters in Geneva, and in around 40 field offices around the world. Among these officials, 900 work in technical cooperation programs and projects. In 1969, the organization received the Nobel Peace Prize for improving fraternity and peace among nations, pursuing decent work and justice for workers, and providing technical assistance to other developing nations.


2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 250-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelle Blackett

The International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Decent Work for Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) (the Domestic Workers Convention or Convention), as supplemented by an accompanying non-binding Recommendation (No. 201), on June 16, 2011. Both instruments were immediately hailed as historic. Two years later, on September 5, 2013, the Domestic Workers Convention entered into force, thus bringing the fifty-three to 100 million predominantly women workers—many of whom are migrants—squarely within the corpus of international labor law, with due attention paid to the specificity of their human rights claims.


2012 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 778-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelle Blackett

The international landscape on the regulation of domestic work is changing dramatically. At the hundredth session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in June 2011, the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the historic Decent Work for Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) and accompanying Recommendation No. 201. These new international labor standards come sixty-three years after the ILO adopted its first resolution on the conditions of employment of domestic workers and forty-six years after its second such resolution, which recalled the "urgent need" for standards "compatible with the self-respect and human dignity which are essential to social justice" for domestic workers. The robust, comprehensive international norms were adopted after two decades in which the ILO's standard setting has been deeply criticized and its tripartite structure repeatedly challenged to become more representative. Since additional critique of the ILO standards system emerged at the ILC's 101st session in 2012, it would be an overstatement to suggest that the new instruments reflect an unequivocally positive trend in standard setting. Even so, they offer a critical realist basis for considering that ILO standard setting remains salient and that international social dialogue remains possible.


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