Filipino domestic workers
An analysis of the situation of Filipino domestic workers
The ILO promotes decent work for all, including those employed in households. Its Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work adopted in 1998, obligates member States to respect, promote and realize freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour, the effective abolition of child labour, and the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
This paper examines the rights and working conditions of Philippine domestic workers employed in their own country and abroad. It reveals that there are marked differences between migrant and local domestic workers in terms of educational qualifications and work experience. That they form two distinct pools of labour has implications for policies and programmes on domestic work.