Caritas says domestic staff should not be 'modern slaves'

(March 9, 2010) Caritas Internationalis has appealed to governments and international communities for the protection of migrants working in homes as maids, caretakers and caregivers, most of them women. Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in 164 countries and territories worldwide. It said that domestic workers are often exploited and rarely have any form of legal protection. The abuse may be difficult to detect, as the workplace is within private homes. Caritas asked that domestic workers be granted the same legal rights as all other workers. "In addition to the risk of abuse, domestic workers have no social insurance, are subjected to long working hours, and are underpaid. Many are afraid to complain, as they fear revenge from employers and continue to live as 'modern slaves'," read a note from Caritas Internationalis. The United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) is studying a document to protect the rights of domestic workers, which is expected to be presented in June.