Runaway Maids on the Rise in the U.A.E.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/
August 17, 2009 1:14 p.m. EST

The Media Line Staff

The Filipino Resource Centre of the Philippine Overseas Labour Office, an arm of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, has reported an increase of 20 percent in the number of Filipino domestic workers who have fled their employers and sought assistance.

Philippine labor attaché Nasser Munder said the majority of those running away had worked for their respective employers for less than three months. Munder reported fielding an average of 118 to 125 cases each month, up about 20% from 2008 figures.

The Philippine Embassy and worker's rights advocacy groups said such runaways were the result of a number of factors ranging from sexual harassment, abuse and nonpayment of wages to homesickness and illness.

"This is reflective of the fact that these women are under a lot of pressure," Gloria Moreno-Fontes, a senior labor migration specialist with the International Labour Organization told The Media Line. "It's an expression of desperation. They are in situations in which they feel exploited and discriminated against, they often do not receive their wages and their freedom of movement is very constrained."

"After a woman runs away the employers often withhold their wages, they are often deported and this poor lady goes back home with debt," said Moreno-Fontes. "This is an issue we are very concerned about. A woman running away should not lead to them being considered undocumented. They need to be given the right protections, access to lawyers and the judicial system, and receipt of all wages due."

Rights organizations say migrant workers lack sufficient protections both in the U.A.E. and Gulf countries in general.

"There are several levels on which women's domestic workers rights are not protected but the main issue is they are not afforded the same rights as many other workers," Moreno-Fontes said. "Migrant workers should be treated and given opportunities on parity to national workers but in most countries of the region national legislation does not cover domestic workers in general and women migrant workers specifically."

Moreno-Fontes warned against assuming that all domestic workers were facing difficulties.

"Many of these women find themselves in a desperate situation this does not mean that all domestic workers are in difficult or exploitative situations," she said. "There are of course good employers."

The U.A.E. has received extensive criticism over the years from human rights and labor organizations over the conditions for foreign workers in the country.

Domestic workers, which make up a significant proportion of the U.A.E.'s predominately foreign population, have complained of sub-standard housing, lack of medical care, abuse and non-payment of wages. A report by the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch found that despite official salaries, U.A.E. domestic workers are actually paid an average of 400-450 dirhams ($108 - $122) each month, which at 16-18 hours per day works out to about 25 cents an hour.

The government announced new regulations two years ago requiring holiday, medical care and registered salaries for all foreign domestic workers in the country. A conflict resolution unit was also set up to resolve disputes between employees and workers.

The International Labor Organization plans to push international standards or labor recommendations for domestic laborers in their annual conference next year.

The United States recently placed the U.A.E. on a watch list of countries with poor human trafficking records.