Call for unionization of domestic workers rises, as report shows increase in abuse

A one day conference on the rights of domestic workers organised by the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE) has called on the Nigerian government to domesticate Convention 189 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The Convention sets standards to protect the rights of domestic workers, including rights to fair working conditions, protection from exploitation, abuse and equal treatment and rights as other workers, which includes not working beyond eight hours a day or 40 hours in a week.

Nigerian domestic workers face precarious work condition. A recent research publication by CEE-HOPE with support from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation West Africa, shows domestic workers have no defined working hours, underpaid, face sexual abuse, among other horrendous experiences.

At the conference held at the Dr Nnimmo Bassey Hall at CEE-HOPE House in Lagos, stakeholders resolved that only a legal framework which protects domestic workers and their rights to belong to workers union could guarantee their rights.

CEE-HOPE executive director, Betty Abah recalled how a domestic worker working for a family in Lagos was starved for three days because she decided not to work again. When on the third day she decided to take uncooked noodles from the kitchen to eat, her madam beat her silly with whip until she died. The husband and wife were later arrested and currently languishing in Kirikiri prison after their failed attempts to pin her death on suicide.

Betty reiterated the demand for the unionization of domestic workers, like in many countries.

She said: “Domestic workers have union in South Africa. They have in Kenya. They have in Dubai. They have in IS. We should also get to that level where domestic workers will have union in Nigeria.”

National Coordinator, Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto condemned the disparaging description of domestic workers as either omo odo, boy boy, etc, saying those kind of descriptions further entrenched the abuse.

For the Secretary of National Association of Nurses and Midwifery, Comrade Toba Odumosun, the underlining cause of abuse of domestic workers should also be interrogated. He argued that societal’s perception of that kind of work, was part of the problem.

He said the historical unpaid work at home, which used to be done by wives, have been passed to domestic workers since the capitalist system can’t guarantee financial sufficiency for the home with only the man working.

Other speakers including Researcher Kadishi Oliseh and Comrade Rufus Olusesan made case for the organisation of domestic workers into a union to protect them from abuse.