Labour externalisation of domestic workers is safe, rewarding

By Ronnie Mukundane

Domestic workers commonly known in Uganda as housemaids play a vital role in most households yet their efforts are rarely appreciated.

Recent reports from Platform for Labour Action have shown that most domestic workers are underpaid, overworked and at times summarily dismissed without adequate compensation. In fact, in most Ugandan households, the highest salary most housemaids get is sh100,000 per month translating into a measly sh1.2m annually. Worse still, some households illegally employ underage girls who are overworked and underpaid.

Yet in sharp contrast with the situation back home, labour externalisation of domestic workers, mainly to the Middle East, has created numerous opportunities and benefits for young Ugandans. For example, a domestic worker iaper month, that is sh10.8m per year (10 times more than the highest paid worker locally). Besides these wages, a worker in the Middle East has other entitlements provided under the law that include free accommodation, free food, medical insurance and bonuses.

Domestic work opportunities in the Middle East countries have helped transform the lives of many Ugandans who are now able to save, invest in small businesses and acquire property back home. Currently, domestic workers are approximately 30% of all migrant employees in the Middle East, according to Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies (UAERA).

UAERA's cardinal objective has been to get these youths off the streets, train and put them into productive employment through which they are able to contribute to nation building and development. More so UAERA works closely with the Government, host countries and the recruiting companies to ensure that all workers are safe and are working in a good working environment. UAERA, for example, partnered with the Government to ensure that Uganda signs two bilateral labour agreement with The Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Government through the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has led to the introduction of digitisation that has revolutionised the processes of recruitment and monitoring of workers from Uganda in the destination countries.

Additional regulatory measures put in place include an online monitoring system that is used to manage the recruitment process, a four party standard employment contract which is signed by employer, employee, Source Company and destination company establishment of labour dispute and settlement centres in several cities of Saudi Arabia manned by judges that impose hefty penalties for employers who violate employees' human rights have been put in place and the eestablishment of Reception centres with medical facilities in major cities to cater for workers who may be distressed, stranded or unwell are also in place.

It is imperative to note that a domestic worker in the middle east also retains his or her fundamental labour rights including the right to own mobile phone so that they can easily and freely communicate with their people back home, termination of the contract in case either party is not satisfied with the terms and conditions of the contract and also provision of return air tickets by the government of Saudi Arabia to returning workers who may find challenges and are compelled to leave the country among others. These measures have in turn tremendously improved the conditions of migrant domestic workers.

Yet in spite of all these measures, the sector continues to attract negative publicity, especially through the unregulated social media platforms.

his is mainly due the youth who are lured by human traffickers and end up being exploited and abused in countries of destination. For example, between January 2016 and Jul 2017, Uganda imposed a ban on externalisation of domestic workers due to many reported cases in social and mainstream media of mistreatment of Ugandan girls in the host countries yet during the same period, 30,000 Ugandan ladies were either trafficked or left on their own to Oman and other destinations. Such diverse publicity portrays the sector is risky and in turn dissuades young deserving Ugandan of the available opportunities to transform their lives so as to contribute to nation development.

UAERA continues to strengthen its secretariat so that discerning Ugandans are sensitised about the immense opportunities in externalisation of labour. Domestic work is safe and rewarding if one goes through licensed companies.

The writer is the public relations manager of the Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies