Protect Union marks Domestic Workers’ Day with call for reforms

International Domestic Workers’ Day, which advocates for the rights of millions of domestic workers worldwide, is being observed today (16), marking 15 years since the International Labour Organisation (ILO) adopted Convention C189 in Geneva, the PROTECT Union said in a special statement.

The union noted that the ILO C189 Convention provides for key labour protections for domestic workers, including regulated working hours, fair wages, paid leave, and social security coverage such as EPF and ETF benefits.

However, it pointed out that Sri Lanka has not yet incorporated the convention into domestic law since 2011, despite many other countries adopting it into their legal frameworks.

The PROTECT Union further stated that domestic workers in Sri Lanka remain excluded from existing EPF and ETF legislation, as well as the National Minimum Wage of Workers Act No. 3 of 2016, resulting in limited access to minimum wage protection, fixed working hours, paid leave, and social security, particularly in old age.

The union urged that domestic workers be included in ongoing labour law reforms, stating that practical action is needed rather than political promises made during election campaigns.

It also noted that although a Deputy Minister had previously stated that steps were being taken to develop legal protections for domestic workers through a committee process, such assurances have not yet materialised.

The statement further alleged that successive governments have failed to introduce proper legal protections for domestic workers. It also referred to past cases involving domestic workers, saying that justice is still pending in several incidents cited by the union.