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Call on the Uk government to end domestic slavery

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Please write to the Business Secretary, Vince Cable MP, calling on the Government to support the adoption of an International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on domestic work to protect domestic workers in the UK and around the world from abuse, exploitation and slavery.

At the recent International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, ILO member states, including governments, met for the very first time to discuss the Convention. Although the UK voted against having recommended actions only for governments (thus not obstructing the negotiations for a full Convention that would require states to take action to protect domestic workers) its suport for a full Convention is still hesitant.

We will have to wait until the 2011 ILC for the final vote as to whether a full domestic work Convention will be adopted but please continue to urge the Government to vote in favour of it and take the lead in the negotiations to ensure domestic workers everywhere do not have to suffer.

Your message

Subject:

Dear Business Secretary,

I am writing to you as I am deeply concerned about the situation of domestic workers in the UK and around the world, many of whom are subject to abuse, exploitation and slavery. I would like to ask your government to support a new International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on domestic work to protect domestic workers from these human rights violations.

Working behind closed doors in private households, domestic work is all too often undervalued and unregulated. In many countries domestic workers are excluded from national labour legislation. Existing international conventions have failed to address the unique circumstances of domestic work nor have they provided adequate protection against exploitation and slavery.

I am concerned that at the recent International Labour Conference in June 2010, where member states of the ILO met for the first time to discuss the Convention, the UK government continued to express reservations in support of a new Convention. I would find it extremely disappointing should your government maintain this position.

I appreciate that the UK is currently ahead of other countries in providing protections to domestic workers including the National Minimum Wage, proper rest periods, holiday pay, and prohibiting employers from confiscating the passports of domestic workers. However, despite these provisions the abuse and enslavement of domestic workers continues in this country and around the world. An international Convention would not only strengthen protections for domestic workers in the UK but ensure that domestic workers everywhere are protected.

I sincerely hope that the Government will reconsider this position. At the International Labour Conference in June 2011, the UK government has the opportunity to take a leading role among the international community to address the abuse of domestic workers both in the UK and around the world and ensure their rights are upheld.

I therefore urge the Government to:
- Support a new robust ILO Convention on domestic work, supplemented by a Recommendation, to protect the rights of domestic workers in the UK and worldwide.
- Ensure the Convention recognises the special conditions in which domestic work is carried out, sets out clear rules to prevent abuse, and promotes equality for domestic workers under labour laws.
- Ensure the Convention contains specific provisions to protect child and migrant domestic workers.

I look forward to your reply.

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