‘Ban the use of toilets as accommodation for helpers’

A domestic workers advocacy group has called on the government to introduce guidelines on suitable accommodation for migrant domestic workers, including banning the use of kitchens, balconies, and even toilets as accommodation for helpers.

On Wednesday, the Mission for Migrant Workers (MFMW) released a report on the living conditions of domestic workers called “Between a Toilet Bowl and a Wall”, which said that 51 percent of domestic workers who contacted them for assistance last year reported having no private room in their employer’s home.

The report featured photographs of the places where these migrant workers sleep, including under stairwells, in storage rooms, as well as next to the toilet.

Johannie Tong, a community organiser for MFMW said it was disappointing that three years after a similar report in 2017, the situation regarding unsafe and unsuitable accommodation for migrant domestic workers is continuing.

“After three years, it’s disappointing, worrying that problematic and inhumane accommodation of migrant domestic workers continues to happen,” she said.

Tong said the Covid-19 pandemic has also made the living situation for domestic workers even worse because of social distancing restrictions and government calls for people to avoid going out unnecessarily.

She said this has meant many migrant workers have to stay home, and some end up working on their rest days.

Half of workers who sought help were not given regular rest days or were forced to work on their rest days during the pandemic, Tong said.

The consequence of this is that many domestic workers don’t get enough rest on their days off and are overworked, with Tong saying that 98 percent of workers they helped last year suffered from long-working hours.

She said that seven out of ten worked more than 11 hours a day, while three out of ten reported working more than 16 hours a day.

Tong called on the government to take “serious steps” to reform any relevant guidelines and policies, including banning the use of toilets and kitchens as accommodation for domestic workers.

She also said that the government could consider “live out” arrangements in cases where employers are unable to provide a suitable private space for their domestic helper.