Convention to strengthen plight of domestic workers
Labour minister Utoni Nujoma said the much-awaited convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) will strengthen Namibian courts and labour tribunals to enforce domestic workers’ working conditions in order to achieve social justice.
Nujoma made the announcement on Wednesday in the National Assembly, while motivating the ratification of the convention that will be held soon at a venue and date yet to be confirmed.
He said that the convention’s main aim is to eliminate and prevent violence as well as harassment at workplaces for domestic workers and provide them with a legal framework to ensure that they enjoy the full range of protection and that their rights at work and decent terms and conditions of employment are protected.
“Domestic work is an important source of employment for Namibian men and women, accounting for 6.9% of the labour force. Domestic workers make essential contributions to many Namibian households and to the labour market,” said Nujoma.
He added that the convention stipulates that domestic workers are entitled to the same international labour rights and protections as all other workers, including freedom of association and the effective recognition of the rights to collective bargaining, protection against forced labour and child labour, and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
“The convention provides for fair terms of employment, decent working and living conditions for domestic workers, social security protection and the right to a safe and healthy working environment. An employer is required to provide the domestic worker in writing specific terms and conditions of employment in an easily understandable manner,” explained Nujoma.
He added that the working conditions should include location of workplace, remuneration, normal hours of work, among others, as domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to physical, sexual, psychological or other forms of abuse due to the uniqueness of their work, as most of the time they are isolated. – Nampa