Purna Basnet

Various three influential human rights organizations fighting for the cause of immigrant workers in Asia have demanded Hong Kong government to resume visa issuance to Nepali workers. The organizations have urged the Hong Kong government to start issuing visa to Nepali workers by adopting International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 189 on domestic workers passed last week by the 100th International Labor Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Organizing a press conference, Coalition for Migrants Rights, Asian Migrants Center and Alliance for Progressive Labor, Hong Kong jointly asked Hong Kong government to remove restrictions on Nepali workers to work in Hong Kong. The three organizations had taken active initiative to pass the ILO Convention 189 related to domestic workers during the Labor Conference.

The ILO 189 convention has provided some 100 million domestic migrant workers across the globe legal status similar to other workers.

Chairperson of Coalition for Migrant Rights Jacky Utami said the convention has ensured migrant workers their victory. She said the convention will not only help promote gender equity but also play a decisive role in increasing the efficiency of workers. “ILO Convention 189 is new international law which provides basic legal recognition to domestic workers. The convention has ensured migrant workers their rights on par with the universally accepted values of migrant workers,” said a joint statement.

Hong Kong is considered one of the most attractive and safe destinations for domestic workers. It is believed that some 285,000 people are working as domestic workers in Hong Kong.

With the Hong Kong government banning visa for domestic workers some five years ago, the number of Nepali domestic workers has now come down to 600, down from around 2,000 five years back. Nepal government has failed to persuade Hong Kong government to open the country for Nepali domestic workers despite several rounds of negotiations.

The issue of migrant workers was included as an agenda during the 99th International Labor Conference of ILO last year. The agenda was endorsed by the 11th International Labor Conference held some two weeks ago as ILO Convention 189.

Since various countries including Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka played important role in getting the convention ratified, the rights organizations of migrant workers have said the role of these countries will be equally important in bringing the convention into implementation.

The rights organizations have said that Hong Kong will be obliged to implement the convention as China has signed the convention. Once approved by China´s National People´s Congress, Hong Kong as its Special Administrative Zone will have no alternative but to implement it.

According to the Vice chair of the Coalition for Migrants Rights Ganga Khatiwada, the demand of domestic workers to increase their pay has been reinforced by the ILO Convention 189.

The minimum wage for domestic workers in Hong Kong is about 3,740 HK dollars (Approximately Rs 37,000) a month. The domestic workers have been demanding minimum 4,000 HK dollars a month as other workers normally draw minimum 8,000 HK dollars (approximately Rs 80,000) a month.

The Coalition for Migrants Rights, Asian Migrants Center and Alliance for Progressive Labor, Hong Kong, have been fighting to end discriminatory policy of Hong Kong government on domestic workers for the past three years.

They maintain that Hong Kong government will be forced to review the legislation on minimum allowance, ban on visa to Nepali workers and domestic workers and other policies related to immigration that directly affect domestic workers.

Published on: 25 June 2011 | Republica