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17% of​ Hong Kong’s domestic workers are engaged in forced labor, study says

WALL STREET JOURNAL

WALL STREET JOURNAL

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DomestichelpersrallyinsupportofanIndonesianmaidwhowastorturedbyheremployers,outsideWanchaiDistrictCourtinHongKongSeptember18,2013. Photo by:Reuters

(WALL STREET JOURNAL)

TheplightofdomesticworkersinHongKonghasmadeheadlinesinrecentyearsafterseveralhigh-profilecasesinwhichemployershadbeatandtorturedtheirhelpers.

Anewstudyshowsthat,farfrombeingisolatedcases,instancesofabusearemoreroutineandwidespreadthanpreviouslysuspected.

AJusticeCentresurveyofmorethan1,000domesticworkersfoundthat17%wereengagedinforcedlabor.Thatmeanstherecouldbemorethan50,000domesticworkersworkingunderduressamongHongKong’spopulationofabout336,000domesticworkers,thevastmajorityofwhomarewomenfromIndonesiaandthePhilippines.

Amongthoseengagedinforcedlabor,14%hadbeentraffickedintoit,thesurveyfound.

DomesticworkersaretightlywovenintothefabricofHongKongsociety,providingtheaffordablechildcareandelderlycarethatallowparentstowork.Oneineverythreehouseholdswithchildrenemploysahelper.Withoutprivatespacesoftheirown,domesticworkersfloodthecity’sparksandsidewalksonSundaystochat,singandpracticetheirreligionsittingoncardboardboxesorplastictablecloths.

Themostsignificantpredictorofforcedlaboriswhetherornotaworkerhasdebt,saysJusticeCenter.EvenbeforeawomanstartsworkasadomestichelperinHongKong,shefacesaraftoffees:training,recruitment,placement,medicalexaminations,insurance,certificates,visasandpassportfees.Mostofthesearepaidvialoans.

Morethan35%ofrespondentshaddebtburdensequalorgreaterthan30%oftheirannualincome.Thosewhosecuredtheirjobsathometookonaverage7monthstopayofftheirdebts.Thislocksthemintopotentiallyabusivehouseholds.

TakethecaseofAmalia,a28-year-oldIndonesianwomanprofiledbyJusticeCentre.Amaliatookoutaloantocoverherrecruitmentcosts,whichtotaledUS$2,007(HK$15,576)andwasrequiredtoattendatrainingfacilityinIndonesia,whereherpassportwasconfiscated.InHongKong,Amaliaworks14hoursadayandisgivenonedayoffeverythreeweeks.SheispaidUS$517(HK$4,010)amonthandsends50%ofhersalarybacktoherfamilyinruralIndonesia.Heremploymentagencyhassaidshecan’tquituntilshehasrepaidherdebt.

JusticeCenterclassifiesunfreerecruitment,workandlifeunderduressandtheimpossibilityofleavingasexamplesofforcedlabor.Thisincludesworkersbeinglockedintrainingfacilitiesorbeingrequiredtowork20hoursaday,inthemiddleofthenight,andonthelegallymandatedonedayoff.TheInternationalLabourOrganizationdefinesforcedlaborasworkdoneinvoluntarilyorunderthemenaceofanypenalty.

Tobesure,manydomesticworkersarehappyintheirworkingsituations,saidJusticeCenter.Themajorityofwomenmovevoluntarilytoseekabetterlifeforthemselvesandtheirfamilyinacitywheretheycanearnrelativelymoremoney.Yetthelackofenforcementand“scattered”legislationinHongKongheightenthechancesofexploitationandabuse,itadds.

HongKongmandatesdomesticworkershaveonedayof24hoursoffaweek,12holidaysayear,afoodallowanceandbepaidaminimumwage.

Yetthoserulesarehardlyenforced,thestudyfound.Thesurveyfoundthatdomesticworkersonaveragework11.9hoursadayandthat36.7%havetoworksomeportionoftheirmandated24-hoursoff.Closeto72%werepaidlessthantheminimumwageof$529.58(HK$4,110)amonth.Nearly40%donothavetheirownroomand35.2%sharearoomwithachildorelderperson.

Morethanhalfofdomesticworkerssurveyed,55%,saidtheydidnotfeelfreetoquittheirjobsbecausetheybelievedalljobshadsimilarlivingconditions.Andmorethan66%ofthosesurveyeddemonstratedstrongsignsofexploitationbutnotenoughtobeclassifiedasforcedlabor.Only5.4%showednosignsofexploitation.

InHongKong,foreigndomesticworkersalsofaceonerousregulationssuchasarequirementtheymustlivewiththefamilyforwhomtheywork.AworkerwhowantstoterminatehercontracthastwoweekstofindanotherjobinHongKongbeforebeingdeported.Andaworkerwhofilesanabusechargeagainstanemployerisprohibitedfromworkingunlessthecaseisresolved.TheyarealsonotentitledtorightstobecomeapermanentresidentofHongKongaftersevenyears,asotherforeignworkersare.

Advocateshaverepeatedlylobbiedforthelive-inruletobescrapped,asittrapsworkerswithpotentiallyabusivebosses.AspokespersonforHongKong’sLabourDepartmenttoldChinaRealTimethelive-inrequirementmustbe“strictlymaintained,”citingtheneedtogiveemploymentprioritytolocal,non-foreigndomesticworkers,andthepotentialriseinmedical,privatehousingandpublictransportationcostsifworkersareallowedtoliveelsewhere.

In2014,ErwianaSulistyaningsih,aformerdomesticworker,wasbeatenandtorturedbyheremployerformonthsbeforesheescapedtoIndonesia.Theemployerwassentencedtosixyearsinprison.Previously,aHongKongcoupleweresentencedtoprisonforwhippingandscaldingtheirhelperwithahotiron.

Likemanyotheradvocacyorganizations,JusticeCentrerecommendsscrappingthelive-inandtwo-weeklimitrequirements,aswellasstricterlawstoprohibitforcedlaborandgivegovernmentdepartmentsthepowertoidentifyandassistvictims.ThecentersaysitsfindingsshowthatcasessuchasErwiana’saren’tanexampleofa“badapple”employer,buta“tip-of-the-iceberg”scenario.