Protesters demand tighter regulations for domestic helpers

Over a hundred residents staged a demonstration yesterday afternoon, demanding that the government address their longtime plea to boost regulations for the employment of foreign domestic helpers.
Sporting blue attire, the protesters, many of them parents, marched from Tap Seac Square to the government’s headquarters in the rain, chanting slogans which centred on urging  “another independent governing body and law for imported maids and agencies” in order to enforce the provision of better services.
Sam Ao Ieong, head of the Macau Domestic Service’s Employer Union, told the media that yesterday’s march was a response to the authorities’ repetitive rhetoric, which has not led to any pragmatic measures on their  months-long petition since the union was founded ten months ago.
He said he grieved over the death of the two-month-old toddler, who was pronounced dead last Friday night at the public hospital after allegedly being violently and repeatedly shaken by his Vietnamese carer earlier this month (see article on page 20). However, he stressed that the case was not the major catalyst behind the crowd’s action.
“Instead of being against the matter, we are reacting against the loopholes in the government’s legal system,” said Ao Ieong. “It has all been ‘reviews, studies and collecting opinions’ we heard from the government, yet it has failed to offer a solid framework… as to when to legislate and to close those loopholes.”
Agencies providing untrained maids with limited knowledge of housework, and who often switch jobs and possess a poor attitude to work were the issues over which protesters have taken to the streets. The mother of a five-member family, identified as Mrs Lam, said that the deceased baby’s case was simply “the tip of the iceberg” and many similar violent acts of abuse had been committed before but gone “unreported.”
The 40-year-old housewife said that her former domestic helpers, all of whom initially appeared “nice” in her family, would later ask for wage increases. According to some protesters, local stay-at-home maids receive an average monthly salary of MOP4,000, with daily needs and meals covered by their employers, which might cost around MOP1,000 more. Furthermore, she added that the maids’ departure during their probation also incurred considerable financial losses to employers, who had to pay compensation.
“We aren’t targeting a particular race or profession. What we want is to address these issues by revising related laws to achieve a ‘win-win’ goal,” she said. “It’s meaningless for either side to win over the other.”
Dismissing accusations of racism, Lam said the five maids she hired over the past few years were “unprofessional” and would grumble about their low salaries after comparing them to other offers, especially those in the gaming industry.
Terry Hong, a father whose daughter had previously been victimized by a violent domestic helper, marched with his entire family and domestic helper yesterday. “We want her to know her duties and how she has to behave,” he said.
The casino worker echoed the above protesters’ claim that his former maids demanded higher salaries and would go to any lengths for a better-paying job. The impact of casinos, according to him, had made the maids greedy and created a dilemma for many who worked in shifts, leaving them unable to care for their children on their own.
The marchers also hoped that the authorities could expedite judiciary procedures for maids suspected of wrongdoing before they were set free in the territory prior to the court verdict.
Last Sunday, two foreign maid groups talked about exploitation imposed by local agents and denied prevalent allegations that most of their members were job-hoppers who see maid positions as stepping stones to other higher-paying jobs, stressing that they have been seeking “good communication” with their local employers.
The government’s statement issued following the protest says that the “authorities would continue to maintain close communications and liaisons with various groups to seek their views on the issue.” Continued efforts to strengthen training for maids and law enforcement for agents are ongoing and related works for a revision of the related laws are underway. The officials also urge for “mutual understanding” between both sides. Staff reporter