SIPTU Divisional Organiser, John King, has called on the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, to immediately act on his stated intention that Ireland would be among the first countries to ratify ILO Convention 189 on Domestic Workers. Richard Bruton stated his intention at a meeting of Labour and Social Affairs ministers in Geneva and, according to SIPTU, this could be a very welcome development if acted upon as it will extend employment protection rights enshrined in legislation to one of the most vulnerable and exploited groups of workers. Hilda Regaspi of the MRCI said “The Domestic Workers Action Group (DWAG) welcomes Minister Bruton’s commitment to ratify the ILO Domestic Workers' Convention. The minister has shown leadership during the EU presidency in pushing ratification at both EU and national level.” She continued: “We have been campaigning for more three years for this convention. This is a victory for domestic workers in Ireland and a testament to the power of mobilising and organising domestic workers, who have actively demanded decent working conditions, rights and recognition for the work they do. Ratification is a first step towards strengthening terms and conditions for the sector and it sends a strong message that domestic work is work and that employers should think twice about exploiting domestic workers. DWAG looks forward to working with SIPTU to ensure the convention is fully implemented. The convention can’t just be aspirational. It must make a real difference to workers’ lives”.
SIPTU and the MRCI call on Minister to ratify Domestic Workers' Convention
