By
Joyce Danso/ Priscilla Oye Ofori, GNA
Accra Oct. 10, GNA – Domestic Services
Workers Union of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has appealed to government to
ratify the International Labour Organisation Conventions (ILO) 189 and 190 on
decent work in order to eliminate violence and harassment.
The workers said their activities have been
saddled with sexual harassment, low wages, long working hours, gender-based
violence and unsafe working conditions.
They said their activities have no social
protection, maternity cover, social security, lack of recognition as workers,
no terms of employment as well as lack of formal contract.
“These factors contribute to making domestic
workers vulnerable to all forms of sexual and economic exploitation,” the
workers said at a press conference held in Accra to celebrate the World Day for
Decent Work which fell on October 7, this year.
The event was held under the theme: “Unions
unite for investment in care for decent jobs and gender equality.”
Speaking at the Press Conference, Ms Bernice
Mawuli, Secretary of the Domestic Services Workers Union, Koforidua Branch,
urged government and other duty bearers to do more than pay lip service to
issues affecting members.
She said over 1,000 members across the
country in the informal work space face various challenges that did not allow
them to benefit from the decent work agenda.
Ms Mawuli expressed satisfaction that
government is developing the draft labour (Domestic Workers) Regulation 2019
and urged government to expedite action in passing the regulation into law.
She said ratifying the ILO Convention 190
which tackles elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work,
would enhance economic activities of the country.
“We want government to speed up the process
to enact the Labour (Domestic Workers) Regulation 2019 in accordance with the
Labour Act 2003, (Act 651).
Political parties must do well to include
the issues of Domestic Service Workers in their manifestoes,” Ms Mawuli said.
The ILO describes domestic work as “work for
private households often with no clear terms of employment, unregistered in any
book and excluded from the scope of labour legislation”. Currently there are at least 67-million
domestic workers worldwide.
Madam Eva Attakpah, President of the
Domestic Services Workers Union, shared her experience explaining how she was
constantly sexually harassed by her boss in a previous employment.
She said some of her colleagues have had to
quit their jobs because of sexual harassment by their bosses.
Due to sexual harassment, Madam Attakpah
said some members are not paid for work done adding that there has been
instances where some members suffer emotional and psychological trauma.
She recounted how a colleague was sexually
abused by a man and his son.
Madam Attakpah said the colleague later
became pregnant and was sacked by her employers adding that her predicament
compelled her to seek shelter on the street.
She was happy that the TUC‘s Legal
Department has taken up some of these sexual harassment cases meted out on some
members.
Madam Adwoa Sakyi, Technical Advisor to
Domestic Services Worker Union, said the effort to the mark the World Day for
Decent Work was to help create awareness on the ratification of the ILO 189 Convention as well allow member to
share their experiences.
GNA
