The Mission For Migrant Workers (MFMW), an NGO, has urged the Hong Kong government to take action to ensure that foreign domestic helpers have suitable accommodation, including their own room and ready access to a toilet.
In a new report that is based on a survey of more than 3,000 domestic workers, the group says one in 10 in Hong Kong are not provided with bedding, as stipulated in the standard working contract.
Norman Uy Carnay, the lead researcher on the report, said some 43% of those surveyed do not have their own room, while one in 50 sleep in areas such as a toilet, storage room, stock room or warehouse, basement, balcony or roof.
One domestic worker said she slept in a rooftop room that was only 1.2 meters high, while another’s bed was located in a kitchen cupboard above the microwave oven and fridge, he said.
Of those with their own rooms, 33% said their rooms are also used by their employer for storage, hanging clothes, for ironing and washing, as a study or office, or as a room for pets. A third of employers enter the domestic workers’ “own room” without their consent.
Around 14% of participants did not have ready access to a toilet.
Carnay said many domestic workers have no choice but to accept poor accommodation as they don’t want to lose their jobs. They know the answer to their requests for better accommodation will be that “there is no space in the house,” he said.
The government should take measures to define “suitable accommodation” in the standard employment contract, MFMW recommends. It should also set up regulatory and monitoring mechanisms, the NGO adds.
The Labour Department had not replied to media inquiries about the report at time of publishing.
Margarita S Yalas kong maka comment ka parang magaling ka din sa grammar a…patawa ka po���
Miss Yalas, I perfectly understand what she was pointing out. F you’re smart enough then you would understand it even she uses shortcut words…common sense girl, sometimes people can mistyped words, it happens to me sometimes. Don’t judge a person just because of small things like this, show how smart you are by proper attitude ok?
What we are talking about here is our our situition as ofw in hk,,we are not in english class kabayan,pabayaan mo na si kabayan hindi nmn big issue ung mli spelling or wrong grammar,importante naialabas nya ang knyng saloobin at reality na sitwasyon ng karamihan sa atin dito,,
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This is a very sad but true scenario among us Filipino Helpers here in Hong Kong. Some… if not most of us are being treated as "properties" and not human beings. We are aware of the fact that flats/condos here in Hong Kong are not big enough for employers to give us our own private rooms because even some of their family members doesnt have their own rooms but the point is…. as human beings (if they do really treat us as such) we are entitled to have a decent place to stay/rest. I myself even experienced to sleep on top of washing machine before but who am I to complain. It is a matter of choosing to lose my job or bear with the situation. It is very easy for other people to say thay it is against the law to be treated like this or that but if we try to be honest to ourselves and try to put aside hypocrisy, DO ANYONE OF US DARE TO COMPLAIN??? Yeah it is in our contract that we must have a proper accomodation etc etc blah blah blah but it is not being observed by most employers. It is easy for them to tell us that we will have a room like this or that but some of those being stated in our contracts are "BIG LIES" and most of us are trapped. It is very hard to live in a shoe box but it is much harder for us to suffer the ordeal if we file complaints against our employers. It is like "sleeping with an enemy" kind of scenarion for 2 year hell period. Anyway, how will the HK government or how will the Philippine government interfere with this kind of problem? I think surprise random checking should be done by HK government in order for them to monitor their citizens if they are observing the laws regarding the proper accomodation of helpers and the same thing should be done by Ph government for them to ensure the well being of Filipino helpers here. There are voluminous laws/ guidelines for protecting domestic helpers but most of it are just for the sake of "there is an existing law" against this or that. We need political will of both HK and PH government to end this kind of abuse and not just "laws in paper" . We are sick and tired of these laws. It is very useless if these are not properly imposed. We need action and not publicity. We are twice victimized, first by the employers, second by the Authority who is responsible for the proper imposition of these laws. Im sorry but this is just my humble opinion.
Ms. Yalas if you got nothing nice to say, just keep your mouth shut. In my own opinion, having poor grammar is better than having poor values. You can’t measure ones intelligence by being fluent in English but the attitude you have just shown to our country fellow who is just trying to share her unfortunate experience is a mere example of STUPIDITY. I have checked your profile and i honestly believe that at your age (i assume that you are more than 50 years old), you are supposed to know the so called ETHICS. Ms. De Belen is just trying to voice out her grievances in English so that the whole wide world can understand what she is talking about and there you are, a woman assuming to have a Doctorate Degree in English language hahahahahhahahaha! For your information Ms. Yalas, this article is being read not only by Filipino people but also by people around the world so it is so damn idiot for you to say that Ms. De Belen should have just used Filipino language. Ano po gusto nyo panose bleedan para magpasikat? Ang tanda nyo na po para mag seek ng attention. EL OW EL!!!!
Vince Bell Jn– sinabi mo pa. Hindi yun grammar ang topic dito kundi yun accommodation standard po ng mga ofw. Do not pretend you are better in English than anybody else. Lol
Sana maactionan nga yan. kung ayaw nila nakikita kapag sunday marami nag lalatag na mga pinay sa central dahil sa kulang sa pahinga kaya kahit saan nlng maka latag basta maka pahinga. Dapatcmy own room tau mga helpers dito sa hk and 24 hours holiday hindi ung 12 hours lng inaallow ng ako bago umalis trabaho pag dating trabaho din
pag nandito ka sa hk, d importante yang corek ang english mo..nakakabobo cla promise! ang isyu yung accomodation di yung grammar! kc d2, efficiency, speed, fast paced, bayad ang bawad minuto, mangangarag ka, kea tlgng nid na mkapg relax, di yung ilalagay ka sa lugar na muka kng gagu..ipush nyo po yung pgrequest khit maayos na higaan man lng…tenchu 🙂
When i was in Hk my employers house is very big but the maids room is very tiny for 3 nannys , the laundry room. Yet still she uses all the cabinets in the maids room for her staffs like plates etc.
Kala mo nman lola kung cino poh kaung magaling mag English at grammar…mahiya nman kau sa sarili nyo..katanda2x na eh……yan talga na puna nyo…aslong na intindihan at nababasa kung ano gusto yang savihin….hnd poh bg deal un…..
Miss margarita yalas anu bang tukoy hindi naman yung spelling o gramar yung sitwasyon ang talino mo ineng english major kb.??ipanama mo yang katalinuhan alam mo ang yabang mo
haha , so funny you are,, as if, you’re very fluent in english Margarita S. layas este yalas���.. at least,, she explain it in a proper way to protect her Co – OFW for what she had experience before not like u ,tsk! tsk! .. if you cannot help here , don’t comment anything , you’re nonsense and depriving yourself..
Jewel Shines well said…�
Pls. stop criticizing oneself, let’s focus the issue because WE ofw can benefits all of these things if it would become a mandatory of Labor Department to provide a suitable accomodation before they can hire a worker. Lucky for those who live with life full of satisfaction but what about others. …let’s put our empathy for those who suffers a lot….We just claimed what is due for us. …GOD BLESS EVERYONE. …WE JST HOPE AND PRAY THAT GOD GRANT OUR ONES HEART DESIRES
akala mo kng sino kng magaling ms yalas ,katunayan lng na wala kng malasakit sa kapwa mo…hindi gramar ang usapan dito,sana nman kng magaling ka di kna sna nangatulong pa….sna kng gramar lng ang concern mo tumahimik ka n lng kc marami kng masasagasaan…akala mo …imbes na ipakita mo simpatya mo sa kapwa natin namintas kpa …..hindi taas ng pinag aralan ang usapan dito…cguro naintindihan muna magaling sa gramar������������
Natawa tuloy ako sa comment ���
Siguro Isa kang English teacher kaya na puna mo grammar margarita
Ikaw na magaling sa grammar margarita
Yabang mo nman dai ayleat she trying to write in english what wrong with that.epokrita