Vietnamese domestic workers need real protection

In Vietnam, domestic workers are now subject to labor laws, but the challenge that Vietnam currently faces is compliance with the law. These are the comments of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in its latest report published on June 15.

Domestic workers have been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo: ILO) In Vietnam, domestic workers are now subject to labor laws, but the challenge that Vietnam currently faces is compliance with the law. These are the comments of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in its latest report published on June 15. On the occasion of International Labor Day Domestic Workers (June 16), the ILO released the Report Making Decent Work a Reality for Domestic Workers: Progress and Prospects in Asia and the Pacific Duong. The report shows that, ten years after the adoption of the Domestic Workers Convention of 2011 (Convention No. 189), the majority of domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region ( 61.5%) are still completely out of the scope of national labor laws while 84.3% of them still work in informal jobs. The absence of national labor laws and the high level of informality continue to severely affect the working conditions of domestic workers in the Asia-Thailand region. Binh Duong. More than 50% of domestic workers are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region Chihoko Asada Miyakawa, Director of the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said that there is an urgent need to formalize domestic work in Asia and the Pacific, starting with employment. domestic help is regulated by labor law and social security to ensure this important worker enjoys the protection and respect they deserve. The Philippines is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region that has ratified the Domestic Labor Convention ten years after its ratification. According to statistics, the Asia-Pacific region has 38.3 million domestic workers aged 15 and over (of which 78.4% are female), equivalent to 50.6% of domestic workers. families around the world, and this is the largest employer of domestic workers worldwide. In which, China accounts for the majority of these workers (22 million). This is also the region that employs the most male domestic workers, accounting for 46.1% of the male labor rate. families around the world. The data shows that the majority of domestic workers in the region are not subject to any limits on working hours (71%) or enjoy weekly leave (64%) under the provisions of the Labor Code. current labor law. The report also shows that domestic workers are often the lowest paid in the labor market, especially when they work in the informal sector. It is estimated that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region due to the high level of informality and the lack of protections provided for in the law. leading to job loss. Their risk of losing their job is 2-3 times higher than that of other workers. Domestic workers in Vietnam need to be protected in practice Vietnam is one of the few countries in the region bringing domestic workers under the scope of labor law. The Labor Code 2019 and the accompanying Decree No. 145/2000/ND-CP stipulate that family workers must have a written contract that meets certain standards, including limits on working hours. and rest time. Among Southeast Asian countries, only in Vietnam are domestic workers entitled to a minimum wage at least equal to the minimum wage for other workers. According to ILO Vietnam Director, Dr. Chang-Hee Lee, although Vietnam has made significant progress, which includes bringing domestic workers under the protection of the labor law, But the challenge facing today is how to strengthen compliance with the law and close the gap between the protections provided in the law and the actual experience of domestic workers. According to a new ILO report, 19% of domestic workers in Vietnam work through service providers, and the number of domestic workers migrating abroad has continuously increased over the past decade. by. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic workers have become much more vulnerable to job loss than other types of workers. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, the rate of domestic workers decreased by 17% in the second quarter of 2020, while the unemployment rate of other hired workers in the same period was only 6.1%. . In parallel with some domestic workers losing their jobs, others have reduced working hours. Both of these situations lead to a significant reduction in total wages received. In the second quarter of 2020, the working hours of domestic workers in Vietnam decreased by 24.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Due to job loss and reduced working hours, the wages that laborers earn Domestic helpers in Vietnam received decreased by 26.2%. By 2026, Vietnam is expected to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention (Convention No. 189). In the Asia-Pacific region, there are still 61.5% of domestic workers who are not subject to labor laws. – 84.3% of domestic workers in the informal sector work in informal work, while this figure for other workers is 52.8%. – 64% of domestic workers in the Asia-Pacific region are not entitled to weekly leave…