"Sixth of helpers victims of forced labour"

ProtestersshoutslogansoutsideanemploymentagencyinHongKongonMarch17,2015,followingthedeathofIndonesianmaidElisKurniasih,33,afteraconcreteslabfellonherwhilesleepingonthebalconyofaguesthouserunbytheagency,asconcernsgrowoverconditionsforoverseasdomestichelpers.AHongKongjudgecalledforactionoverlawsonthetreatmentofforeigndomesticworkersinthecityinFebruary2015aftersentencingawomantosixyearsinjailforbeatingandstarvingherIndonesianmaid,ErwianaSulistyaningsih,inacasethatmadeheadlinesaroundtheworld.(AFPPHOTO/PhilippeLopez)

(REUTERS)

LONDON-OneinsixmigrantdomesticworkersinHongKongisavictimofforcedlabourandasignificantproportionhavebeentrafficked,rightscampaignerssaidonTuesdayastheycalledforstrongerprotectionsforthecity'smaids.

ResearchbytheJusticeCentreHongKongsuggestsmorethan80percentoftheterritory's336,600domesticworkersareexploited,withsomeworking20hoursaday.

"HongKongmustcomeclean;thegovernmentcannolongeraffordtosimplysweeptheseproblemsunderthecarpet,"thecentresaidinareport.

Thetreatmentfacedbythecity'sdomestichelpersmadeinternationalheadlineslastyearwhenaHongKongmotherwassentencedtosixyearsinprisonforrepeatedlyabusingandassaultinghermaids.

AnotherHongKongcouplewasjailedin2013fortorturingtheirmaid,whosaidtheyoncedressedherinanappyandtiedhertoachairwhiletheywentonholiday.

TheJusticeCentresaidtheHongKonggovernmentoftentreatedsuchcasesasisolatedincidents,butcampaignersbelievetheyaresymptomaticofwidespreadexploitation.

AthirdofHongKonghouseholdswithchildrenemploysamaid.ThemajorityarefromthePhilippinesandIndonesia.

Thestudyfoundtheyworkanaverageofover70hoursaweek,yetonlyafractionreportedreceivingabovetheminimummonthlywage,whichrecentlyrosetoHK$4,210($543).

Passportsconfiscated

Thestudysurveyedmorethan1,000domesticworkersfromeightcountriesabouttheirrecruitment,pay,workconditionsandtreatment.

Extrapolatingtheresultssuggestsover50,000migrantdomesticworkersmaybeinforcedlabour,ofwhom14percentmayhavebeentrafficked,accordingtothereport"ComingClean".

Theauthorssaidcontrarytowhatmanypeoplethink,forcedlabourandtrafficking"don'talwaystakeplaceinshacklesandintheshadows".

TheyhighlightedthecaseofIndah,anIndonesianmaidwhowashiredlegallyandreceivestheminimumwage,butisstillavictimofforcedlabour.

Indah,whohashadherpassportconfiscated,works20hoursaday.Heremployeroftenwakesheratnighttoworkandforceshertoworkforotherpeopleandonherdayoff.

"Migrantdomesticworkersareuniquelyvulnerabletoforcedlabourbecausethenatureoftheiroccupationcanblurwork-lifeboundariesandisolatethembehindcloseddoors,"thereportreads.

TheJusticeCentreurgedthegovernmenttocreateclearguidelinesonworkinghoursandabolishtherequirementformaidsto"livein",whichitsaidincreasedtheriskofexploitation.

ArulerequiringmigrantworkerstoleaveHongKongwithintwoweeksoftheircontractendingshouldalsobescrappedasthisleavesthemscaredtoreportabuse,thecentreadded.

LikeIndah,almostallthoseinforcedlabourhadattainedatleastsecondaryschooleducationandmorethanaquarterhadattendedcollegeoruniversity.

Overathirdofalldomesticworkerssurveyedwerenotgivenafulldayoffasrequiredbylaw,overhalfreportedreceivinglessthantheminimumfoodallowanceandnearlyathirddidnotfeelfreetoquit.

Thecentrealsocalledfortougheractiononunscrupulousemploymentagenciesthatoverchargemigrantworkers,oftenleavingthemindebt.