DOMESTIC WORKERS IN SRI LANKA CONTINUED
Posted on January 13th, 2023

Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel former Ambassador to UAE and Israel President Ambassador’s Forum

New concerns raised on domestic workers

After the publication of the above article there were numerous requests for us to find a solution for the issues raised therein. It is not possible to find solutions for the worldwide issues but we can try to help the issues in Sri Lanka within our capacity in the interest of the domestic workers in Sri Lanka which is a substantial amount. There was traditional rich who use to employ domestic workers for domestic help and to make the life easier as they could afford it. The next category is newly rich and the foreigners resident in Sri Lanka for short periods. There is a new category working part-time as the families where  most members are employed, with small children, are finding difficult as the employment is as important as the family on European model. As mentioned in the previous article the domestic workers are not protected by any law though some are on paper yet they are not badly treated as the demand for domestic workers so high finding difficult to home stay workers to whom the household children and pets are left with and very often the victims are the employers who are harassment an theft by the employees sometimes by organized gangs. To be fairness to the security forces it appears they understand the situations as they themselves are employers who go through the same issues and problems. Therefore it has become necessary to regulate this as the pay sometimes as good as in foreign employment where the employer prefers to be employed abroad to avoid the social stigma of an employee in country. There is a grave need to regularize the domestic worker profession as accepted recognized and regularized position in the socially and in they of law and order.

Time for the Employment Bureau to Intervene

Therefore it is time for the Employment Bureau with the coordination’s with the Police, women’s bureau, children’s bureau and the social services to draw up a scheme and a plan possible y new legislation of regulations under the Employment Bureau to regularize the process which has enormous potential and a grave need to a certain category of the society   as conditions have now hanged due to the busy life and the increase of living standards of a part of the upper strata of the society. Salaries paid are higher and the employees are in a position to demand more salaries and facilities due to the shortage of labor who can demand more in the daily paid  workers in need to the society. Considerable of domestic labor are from upcountry estate workers and from families in need of extra funds for existence and the education of the remaining members of the family. This shows that it is a new phenomenon as a result of injection of the funds received from foreign employment and business generated from legal and illegal resources when the crime rate and drug addiction is on the rise are unavoidable realities in the society.

Possible Solution/s – Caregivers?

It is necessary sending women is stopped forthwith as it disturbed the family unit and the earnings appear not  to be used properly for the family in a more suitable way. Uplifting the domestic worker to be care givers is a practical and a viable solution  so that the domestic worker are went as skilled and well paid care givers more respected protected and paid. Care givers are needed inside Sri Lanka in place of Nurses and physicians who will be trained paramedic if they are trained properly either by the state or a private sector. Their knowledge on the subject and English or any other foreign languages should be uplifted and prepared to take any position international with confidence and care to fact the world and now many Sri Lankan employers too are able and willing to take the services of caregivers especially to look after the children and elderly which is their main concern. Sarathdw28@gmail.com

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