“The ITUC is eagerly waiting for the Dominican Congress to ratify the ILO Convention and for public authorities to implement it. This will make a huge difference to the lives of both migrant and Dominican women working hard from dawn to dusk without any rights and protection,” she says.
The Dominican unions started organising domestic workers several years ago together with other workers from the informal economy lacking rights and protection. Trade union innovations include capacity-building activities, the setting-up of a school to increase technical skills and awareness on workers’ rights, a negotiated agreement with social security bodies for the registration of informally employed workers, as well as successful public awareness and advocacy work.
“This is a big step towards reaching the goal of the ITUC’s ‘12 by 12’ campaign to get 12 countries to ratify ILO Convention 189 by the end of 2012,” says Burrow.