Shared by: Shiela Tebia (OBR Hong Kong Coordinator)
OBR Hong Kong Launched on the Occasion of International Migrants Day 2023 (17 December 2023)
HK Migrants call for Inclusion and expect genuine services and protection in 2024.
In commemoration of International Migrants Day, and to launch One Billion Rising 2024, the Asian Migrants Coordinating Body-IMA-HK gathered at the Victoria Park with hundreds of its members, solidarity friends, and advocates to express their determination to fight against modern-day slavery, exclusion, and discrimination as expressed through “job-hopping” and the long-standing two-week rule and other related policies. AMCB-IMA also raised their dismay on the continuing neglect and abandonment of the two governments of migrant domestic workers.
Despite the migrant domestic workers’ economic contribution to both sending and receiving countries, the exploitation continues because of the oppressive and discriminatory policies such as low wages, long working hours, unsafe working conditions, no proper food and accommodation, and many more. Even worse is the criminalization of MDWs by falsely accusing them as “job-hoppers”, if the workers terminate the contract because they can’t bear the situations in our workplace.
Migrant domestic workers in HK are part of society, and we sustain the families and the economy of HK; we must be treated like any other worker in HK. MDWs and our allies will continue to fight until the governments hear us and address our demand to end modern-day slavery and commodification of migrant workers by ratifying the ILO C189. Abuses at work must also be stopped as defined in the C-190.
Finally, we also call out the respective governments’ labour export program. They should be creating jobs back home with living wage so that we are not forced to work abroad to support our family.