‘NO return to slavery, we are workers!’ chanted over 200 migrant domestic workers and their supporters outside Parliament yesterday.
The protest from 11am-1pm, Old Palace Yard opposite the House of Lords, was organised by Justice4DomesticWorkers, and supported by the Unite union, the TUC and Filipino organisation Kalayaan.
Justice 4 Domestic Workers warns that the Cameron government plans changes to immigration law that will remove the domestic worker visa; impose a maximum stay of one year, non-renewable; impose no right to settlement; and tie migrant domestic workers to one employer.
Campaigners’ demands are:
• Retain the domestic worker visa and maintain the right to change employer.
• Maintain our rights as workers and our rights to settlement. Equal rights and protection for domestic workers in diplomatic households.
• Ratify and implement the International Labour Organisation (ILO) ‘Conventon 189 – Decent Work for Domestic Workers’.
Justice 4 Domestic Workers leaflets declared: ‘Domestic workers are not slaves, maids, servants or family members, WE ARE WORKERS – Come and support us!’
One worker told the rally: ‘My name is Luzviminda, a member of Justice 4 Domestic Workers. I am here today because I want to ask for equal rights for domestic workers who work for diplomats.
‘It is not fair that if we run away from a bad employer we become illegal.
‘We don’t want to hide. We don’t want to be scared anymore.’
She said that she came to London with a diplomat from Kuwait and had to look after his family of twelve.
She added: ‘The most terrible thing is that I could never hold my passport. . .
‘I worked all the time. I got up at 5am and sometimes I didn’t finish until one or two in the morning.
‘I had no rest, no day off. I got so tired and my salary is so small, only £50 a week.’
K Naglaoui from Morocco told News Line: ‘We are fighting for our rights, to save our visas. The visa is our life in the UK.
‘The government are trying to stop the visa.
‘We are here to work and support our families back home.
‘We are all scared, we need to cover ourselves here.
‘We are working hard. If they stop our visa we can’t stop here in the UK.
‘Already most employers don’t pay the necessary wages, sick pay and holiday pay.
‘We want to keep our visas, get respect and better conditions at work.’
Fouleva Adams said: ‘I am here because we don’t want a return to slavery. If the government changes everything, it is no good for us.’