Domestic Workers Demand
8 Hour Workday
Domestic workers are
demanding to be treated
like other employees, as
they are the only
workers whose work days
is 12 hours while the
work day for the others
is only 8.
To make their point
known, domestic workers
have formed a group
called Astrodomes and
yesterday, with the
support of legislator,
Carlos Gutiérrez, filed
a writ of habeas corpus
with the Constitutional
Court.
The legislator said
there is no reason why
domestic workers should
be treated different
than other workers and
are forced to work
longer work days and in
conditions similar to
slavery, as some
domestic workers are
forced to abandon their
children and families,
being required to live
and sleep at their place
of work.
Gutiérrez said his
action of presenting the
appeal is to help out
domestic workers in
getting a fair deal, as
legislators have been
stalling such for the
last 17 years, saying
that domestic workers
should be treated like
all other workers, but
in reality never doing
anything to that effect.
"What I want is to shame
those legislators who
have done nothing to
protect domestic
workers", said Gutiérrez.
According to the Labour
Code, domestic workers
are required to work 12
hours daily, six days a
week and for a monthly
minium salary of ¢90.000
colones (us$165 at
today's exchange rate),
an in some cases are
required to live and
sleep at their place of
employment.
"Domestic workers are
being asked to bathe the
family dog, cut the
lawn, cook, clean and
what about their
families and their
education?", said
Gutiérrez.
Gutiérrez was
accompanied to the Sala
Constitucional by the
Defensoría de los
Habitantes official,
Daneil Soley, who is
considering filing a
separate writ to
safeguard the rights of
all domestic workers.
Gutiérrez said that even
if the Sala
Constitucional does not
support his appeal, he
will continue his fight
before international
organization until the
righs of domestic
workers are respected.
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