The MOU signed by the two parties in 2013 aims to enhance cooperation on domestic worker recruitment in a way which realizes the interests of both countries and securies the rights of both workers and employers.
Under this MOU th charging or deducting from salary any cost attendant to recruitment and deployment from workers’ salaries is prohibited.
In 2009, Jordan and Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning domestic workers which covers not only the costs migrants incur at the pre-departure stage, but also while at the destination and even upon return.
Malaysia and Indonesia signed an MOU on the Recruitment and Placement of Indonesian Domestic Workers on 15 May 2006, amended by a Protocol on 30 May 2011, which provides protections for domestic workers.
The Government of Spain's Royal Decree 1620/20111 of 14 November regulates the special relationship that characterizes service within the family household.
The Royal Decree updates the rules governing the labour relationships of domestic employees and sets out to improve working conditions in the sector by bringing them as far as possible into line with those of other workers, while making due allowance where appropriate for such differences as may exist.
Although domestic workers are explicitly excluded from protections under the Labour Law in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, in June 2015 a separate law regulating the domestic work sector was adopted by Kuwait’s national assembly, providing some labour rights to this vulnerable group of workers – including a minimum wage. The lack of a credible mechanism to enforce this law remains a shortcoming however.
The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through department order No. 130 (2013) has regulated that no fees or other charges for recruitment, placement or providing employment can be placed on seafarers.
The Philippines has developed a comprehensive protective mechanism covering all phases of migration, which includes a mandatory orientation programme for workers who are about to leave for employment abroad. This programme seeks to facilitate workers’ smooth arrival in and adjustment to the country of destination, teaches them coping mechanisms if faced with difficulties, and to obtain other essential information to prevent welfare problems. It also includes skills-specific training for vulnerable sectors, such as domestic workers.
In 2006, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration Governing Board has approved a series of resolutions defining policy reforms that seek to improve the lot of household workers, particularly migrant domestic workers coming from abroad. These include upgrading of skills of the workers, orientation course on country-specific culture and language, protective mechanisms at the job sites, obliging employers to shoulder the cost of deploying the domestic helper, and increasing the minimum salary to a level commensurate to their acquired competencies.
In Lebanon, civil society organisations have taken active steps to provide legal assistance and representation in courts and through informal dispute-resolution mechanisms to obtain justice in cases of violations. They have been actively engaged in the provision of legal aid to migrant domestic workers and capacity-building and awareness-rising activities have targeted judges, lawyers and those responsible for implementing the law, the number of legal decisions in favour of migrant domestic workers has multiplied over the last few years.
The Global Action Programme on Migrant Domestic Workers and their Families seeks to promote the human and labour rights of migrant domestic workers worldwide by addressing the challenges that make migrant domestic workers particularly vulnerable to the risks of exploitation and abuse.