SITUATION OF DOMESTIC WORKERS IN THE WORLD AND IN CANADA
On a global scale, the ILO estimates that there are anywhere between 67 and 100 million domestic workers, including 15.5 million children and a vast majority of girls and women. In several cases, they must cope with racism, slavery, physical and sexual violence, as well as serious abuses of their rights in general and of their right to move freely in particular.
In Canada, since the middle of the 1950s, domestic workers — most of whom are racialized people who immigrated here — have contributed to the development of the country’s economy but have never received the recognition they deserved. Their work remained most often out of view and was not very socially valued. Policies respecting domestic workers have generally been aimed at exploiting them rather than protecting their human rights. Today, there are approximately 25,000 domestic workers in Québec and 150,000 in Canada. These women are vulnerable to exploitation, racial discrimination, sexual and psychological harassment, violence, and rape. Some are even subject to forced labour.
Currently, only 25 states have ratified the Convention No. 189. By joining the ranks of these signatory states, Canada may take on a leadership role by defending the rights of domestic workers and, on larger scale, of migrant workers. Furthermore, Canada’s ratification would encourage other countries to ratify Convention No. 189,and adopt binding standards to protect these workers’ rights and security.
CAMPAIGN TO HAVE CANADA RATIFY CONVENTION NO. 189 OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)
The campaign launched by the Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO) and the AQOCI’s Comité québécois femmes et développement (CQFD) is part of the growing global movement to defend the rights of domestic workers. The campaign will extend from March 5 to June 16, 2018. On March 5, a public event is planned for the official launch of the campaign in Québec.
SCHEDULED ACTIONS AND HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN
- Distribute the petition to the Government of Canada between March and June 2018;
- Support the distribution of the educational tools to raise awareness of the violations of rights as well as of these workers’ organizing efforts;
- Contribute to engaging new groups in this campaign in key cities around the country;
- Organize advocacy meetings with MPs throughout the country to raise their awareness of groups’ and communities’ support;
- Draft and send advocacy letters to the Government of Canada in support of the demands;
- Adopt an organizational resolution in support of the campaign;
- Send us information on your actions (ciso@ciso.qc.ca)
OUR DEMANDS
Our demands are simple and will provide domestic workers here with the additional levers they need to defend their rights, while encouraging other countries to ratify the ILO’s Convention No. 189. Close to 7 years after the Convention was adopted, it is more than time for Canada to ratify it and concretely demonstrate its commitment to women.
We have registered a petition on the website of the House of Commons by which we are calling upon the Government of Canada to:
- ratify the ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189);
- invite provincial and territorial governments to harmonize their laws with the ILO’s Recommendation No. 201 which accompanies this Convention.
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
COMMUNICATIONS
To let us know that you are interested in supporting this campaign or to obtain further information, write to us at:
ciso@ciso.qc.ca
EDUCATIONAL TOOLS
Document 1 (in French) : ILO’s Domestic Workers Convention (No. 189)
Document 2 (in French) : Domestic workers in Latin America and Mexico
Document 3 (in French) : Domestic workers in the Middle East
Document 4 (in French): Domestic workers and caregivers in Quebec and Canada
Video 1 (in Spanish with French subtitles): Interview with Marcelina Bautista
Marcelina Bautista is a Mexican activist and domestic worker. In 2000, she cofounded the Centro de Apoyo y Capacitación para Empleadas del Hogar (CACEH), a support and training centre for domestic workers that promotes their rights. Then, in 2016, she cofounded Mexico’s union of domestic workers (SINACTRAHO). Marcelina was the regional coordinator for Latin America of the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF). In 2006, she received the Hermila Galindo Award from the Human Rights Commission of the Federal District of Mexico, in 2010, the Human Rights Award from Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation and, in 2013, the National Award for Equality and Non-discrimination of Mexico’s National Council to Prevent Discrimination. She actively participated with the International Labour Organization in the drafting and adoption of Convention No. 189 and Recommendation No. 201 on decent work for domestic workers, in 2010 and 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
IN THE MEDIA
Opinion letter (in French) published in Le Soleil and Le Quotidien
Opinion letter (in French) published in Le Droit
Opinion letter (in French) published in L’aut’journal
GROUPS THAT ALREADY SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN
Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes
Aide internationale pour l’enfance (AIPE)
Alternatives
Association des groupes d’éducation populaire autonome (AGÉPA) Centre-du-Québec
Association pour la défense des droits du personnel domestique (ADDPD)
Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI)
Au Bas de l’Échelle
Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique (SCFP/CUPE)
Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions / Fédération canadienne des syndicats d’infirmières et infirmiers (CFNU/FCSII)
Caregivers Action Center (CAC)
Carrefour d’aide aux non-syndiqués-es de Trois-Rivières
Carrefour de solidarité internationale de Sherbrooke (CSI-Sherbrooke)
Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
Centre Communautaire des femmes Sud Asiatiques
Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrants (CTI)
Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO)
Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec (CDPDJ)
Comité d’action contre la traite humaine interne et internationale (CATHII)
Comité des travailleurs et travailleuses accidentés de l’Estrie (CTTAE)
Comité québécois femmes et développement (CQFD-AQOCI)
ConcertAction femmes Estrie
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
Conseil central Montréal-métropolitain-CSN
Conseil régional FTQ Montréal métropolitain
Développement et Paix
DroitsTravailleursMigrants/MigrantWorkersRights-Canada
Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ)
Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé (FIQ)
Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ)
Femmes de diverses origines (WDO/FDO)
Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU)
Front de défense des non-syndiqué.e.s (FDNS)
Illusion-Emploi Sherbrooke
Inter Pares
Kairos
Le Phare des Affranchi(e)s
Ligue des droits et libertés du Québec
Mouvement Action-Chômage de Montréal (MAC)
Mouvement Action-Chômage de Trois-Rivières
Mouvement des chômeurs et chômeuses de l’Estrie (MCCE)
Ontario Public Interest Research Group – Carleton University
Oxfam Canada
PINAY
Promotion handicap Estrie
Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale
Solidarité Laurentides Amérique centrale (SLAM)
Solidarité populaire Estrie
Solidarity Halifax
Syndicat des Métallos-FTQ
TROVEP Estrie
Unifor-Québec
Service Employees Union – local section 800 (UES-800 / UES 800)
Union des travailleuses travailleurs accidentés ou malades (UTTAM)
Ce projet est rendu possible grâce à l’appui financier du Gouvernement du Québec par l’entremise du
Programme d’éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale (PÉCM).