Dubai: The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is expected to implement in June 2011 a treaty setting global principles for domestic helpers world-wide, an ILO official said.
Maurizio Bussi, Deputy Regional Director of the Beirut-based ILO Regional Office for Arab States told Gulf News that the new convention, currently in its legality phase, is expected to regulate the domestic helpers market.
"The treaty will set the principles for domestic worker. What is the demarcation line between [their] work, how much you should work, what kind of work you should do, what you will be allowed to do, the issue of passports if it taken by your employer, what is the working time," said Bussi.
In some cases, many domestic helpers are hired from their countries to carry a certain job in other counties, such as cleaning and ironing, according to certain financial agreement. However, they end up taking on other responsibilities, such as nursing and baby sitting under a different financial agreement.
Violations
A myriad of human rights and financial violations related to domestic helpers are reported around the globe.
Drawing an international framework for domestic helpers comes after similar international conventions, including that for child labour.
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