Ratifying C189 is important, urgent and a priority! Wide ratifications of C189 would benefit an estimated 100 million domestic workers around the world who for long have been unrecognized, neglected, and forgotten.

We commend Uruguay for being the first country to ratify C189. We are optimistic that this step forward will encourage the rest of the world to follow in particular the Philippines which also committed to be among the first countries to ratify the Convention.

We call on States, employers, recruiters, civil society, religious groups, and the general public to become instruments of change and reinvent their views on domestic work. Specifically, we raise our call to the following:

• Governments to ratify C189 and follow through on their ethical and legal obligations to end to both local and migrant domestic workers the same rights as those of other workers.

•Governments are urged to provide an enabling environment that will facilitate respect for rights, provide ample protection and promote holistic development of domestic workers.

• Governments to include domestic workers in national labour laws and enact provisions that address the specific needs and concerns of domestic workers especially child domestic workers and migrant domestic workers.

• Governments to repeal policies that disproportionately discriminate and criminalize domestic workers and effectively enforce existing policies that seek to promote the rights and welfare of domestic workers.

• Governments, employers and the general public to recognize the contribution of domestic and

workers to the development of societies where they work and treat them with respect dignity.

• Recruiters to stop the exploitation of migrant domestic workers through collection of exorbitant recruitment fees which lead domestic workers into forced labor and debt bondage.

•Trade unions and labour rights advocates to show their concrete support by assisting domestic workers to exercise their right to association and to join or form a trade union

•For trade unions to expand solidarity with migrant domestic workers across borders.

•Religious groups to take an active role in promoting public consciousness with respect to the culture of inequalities and stereotypes that work against domestic workers particularly women domestic workers.

• Religious groups to continue with their role of providing refuge and comfort for domestic workers who have been exploited and abused.

•Domestic workers to organize, speak for themselves and mobilize support for the ratification and implementation of C189.

Domestic Work is Work! Domestic Workers are Workers! Domestic Work is Not Slavery!

Ratify C189!

16 June 2012



Signed by:

ACTFORM- Sri Lanka

AFL-CIO

Ain O Salish Kendro (ASK)- Bangladesh

Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL)– Philippines

Association for Community Development - Bangladesh

Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines- Migrants Center- Philippines

ATIKHA- Philippines

Bangladesh Institute of Labor Studies-Bangladesh

Cambodia Legal Education Center (CLEC) - Cambodia

Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center (CLMC)- Lebanon

Center for Indian Migrant Studies (CIMS)- India

Center for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS) – Nepal

Center for Migrant Advocacy (CMA) – Philippines

Coalition for Migrants Rights (CMR)- Hongkong

Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Indonesia (FSPMI)- Indonesia

Federation of Free Wokers (FFW)– Philippines

German Commission for Justice and Peace- Germany

Global Network- Asia

Helpers for Domestic Helpers (HDH)- Hongkong

Hongkong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) - Hongkong

Hope Workers Center (HWC)- Taiwan

Hsinchu Migrants and Immigrants Services Center (HMISC)

Humanitarian Organization for Migration and Economics (HOME)- Singapore

Institute of Social Development (ISD) - Sri Lanka

International Domestic Workers Network (IDWN)

JALA PRT- Indonesia

KAKAMMPI- Philippines

Kanlungan Centre Foundation- Philippines

Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (KSPI)-Indonesia

Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN) - Philippines

Labour Education Foundation (LEF) - Pakistan

Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW)- Cambodia

Migrant Care- Indonesia

Migrant Forum in Asia

Migrant Forum India - India

POURAKHI- Nepal

Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC)-Nepal

Self Employed Workers Association (SEWA-Academy) – India

Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia (SBMI)- Indonesia

Solidarity Center

Sr. Immaculate De Alwis, ACTFORM- Sri Lanka

SUMAPI- Philippines

Transient Workers Count Too- Singapore

Unlad Kabayan Migrant Services Foundation, Inc.- Philippines

Visayan Forum Foundation Incorporated - Philippines

WARBE Development Foundation – Bangladesh

Youth Action Nepal (YOAC) - Nepal