New rights for Filipino maids in Bahrain

The Islamic New Year brought a great news for Filipino domestic helpers. Let me share the news report from today's GDN:

New contracts sanctioned by Philippines and Bahraini authorities give housemaids the right to walk out if their employers mistreat them.

Filipino domestic workers who terminate their contracts because of abuse will no longer be deemed "runaways", said Philippine Embassy welfare officer Venus Bravo.

Contracts for Filipina housemaids now have a new clause, which states that they have every right to terminate their service if their employers in Bahrain abuse them.

The Labour Ministry is aware of the new contract and is honouring it, said Ms Bravo.

Employers of housemaids and those who are bringing in new housemaids from the Philippines are being informed of the clause, which aims to put a stop to the abuse cases of Filipino workers in Bahrain.

Workers staying at the embassy's shelter have doubled in the last two months.

More than 60 workers are currently at the shelter to date, compared to about 30 last month.

The majority of these workers are housemaids, who all want to return home, but most of their employers are keeping their passports and CPR cards.

Many complained of breach of contract, while others complained of physical and/or sexual abuse, overwork and delayed salaries.

Some were hired by their Bahraini employers straight from the Philippines and arrived on tourist visas.

Their employers are deliberately violating set rules that Filipinos must be hired through agencies, said Ms Bravo.

The largest number of workers in the embassy shelter at one time was 114, which was during Ramadan last year.

"We experienced what we thought was an increase of runaway workers during the Holy Month, but now we are finding that more workers are running away and this just shows how serious the situation is here in Bahrain," said Ms Bravo.

Housemaids' contracts now state that their employers must agree that the worker has the right to terminate the contract due to violations.

These include non-payment of salary, non-provision of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, non-provision of enough rest hours during the day and not allowing eight hours of sleep per day.

Other violations are requiring the maid to work for other people, transferring her to other employers, or maltreating, beating or physically or sexually assaulting her.

The agreement also states the employer must indemnify the worker for terminating the contract period, meaning the employer must pay for the maid's air ticket to go back to the Philippines and provide her outstanding wage. "If any employer refuses to sign the agreement once it is introduced at the embassy then we will tell them to please not hire Filipinos," said Ms Bravo.