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Domestic work has been an ILO concern since its early days. Already in 1948 the ILO adopted a Resolution concerning the conditions of employment of domestic workers; in 1965, it adopted a Resolution calling for normative action in this area. In 1970, the first survey ever published on the status of domestic workers across the world made its appearance.
While in 1970 the prevalent view was that domestic work was doomed to decline in scope over time, history has proven that wrong: conservative estimates put the number of domestic workers today at above 100 million, which will most likely increase in the future. The resurgence of domestic work is associated with many factors, such as demographic trends, increased female labour participation, flexible working conditions and poor public support for family responsibilities that make it difficult to reconcile paid work with family duties.
Domestic workers may cook, clean, take care of children, the elderly, or the disabled, even domestic animals. They comprise mainly women. Domestic workers may also work as gardeners or guardians in private homes or as family chauffeurs. Men tend to prevail in these forms of domestic work. In recent decades, domestic work has become one of the most important sources of labour for female migrant workers.
Despite encouraging developments in some countries, the majority of domestic workers remain overworked, underpaid and unprotected. They are often excluded de jure or de facto from the scope of national legislation. This is due to the specific characteristics of this form of work. Domestic work does not take place in a factory or an office, but in the home. The employees are not male breadwinners, but overwhelmingly women. The work is not aimed at producing plus value, but at providing care services to millions of households. Domestic work typically reflects the otherwise unpaid labour in the household traditionally performed by women. This explains why it is undervalued. Domestic work is a multifaceted, global phenomenon affecting millions of workers worldwide whose working conditions and broader life options warrant the protection of decent work for all.
Existing international labour standards do not offer adequate guidance on how to address the specific circumstances of domestic work. In March 2008, the ILO Governing Body agreed to include a standard-setting activity on decent work for domestic workers on the agenda of the 99th Session (2010) of the International Labour Conference. In preparation to this, a number of reports will be drafted and submitted to ILO member States (see calendar of reports). In June 2010, the ILC will decide on the form of the draft instrument(s)-whether a Convention and/or a Recommendation. In 2011, the ILC will discuss the standard(s) with a view to adopting or rejecting it.
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