Caring Malaysia must improve wages, working conditions and rights of domestic workers...and other workers

What should be a fair wage for full-time domestic workers? How much is fair for working 7-days a week 24 hours a day?

With one rest day per week, it would be 6 days a week, 24 hours a day?

Why should they be required to work for 24 hours a day - maybe they should be working 8 hours a day...just like all other workers, and what are the hours that they need to work should be worked out between employer and domestic worker...

Example:- Morning 5.30 am - 7.30am (2 hours)
Morning 9.30am - 1.30pm (4 hours)
Evening 6pm - 8pm (2 hours)

If the employer requires the domestic worker to work for more than 8 hours per day, then the worker shall be paid overtime hourly rate, and the maximum number of hours per day should be fixed.

Put yourself in the shoes of the domestic worker, and ask what will be the fair and just salary. Some say RM1,000... some say RM1,200 .. RM800....RM500

I believe that there must be no discrimination of rates of wages based on the nationality or the ethnicity of the domestic worker...

I believe that there should be MINIMUM wages stipulated in law - but actual wages shall be determined by the employer and the domestic worker.

The employment act be amended, and the domestic worker shall be entitled to all rights and protections as provided in that law for workers.

There must be a new law which stipulate the minimum standards of housing/living conditions of a live-in domestic worker.

The problem now is that there are just too many AGENTS involved...and that is why the cost of employing a domestic worker is so high..., and the governments can do something to reduce all this extra cost. People pay RM7,000 to RM7,500 to these 'middle man' - WHY?

Do not speculate on the minimum salary for Indonesian maids as the matter has not been agreed upon by the two governments, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

“I cannot be responding to press comments and releases. We have to go through the official channel from the Indonesian government.

“So far, the salary issue has not been discussed in the meetings between both sides,” he said when met at the Seri Perdana Hari Raya open house hosted by the Prime Minister and Cabinet on Sunday.

The salary issue he said, would be discussed during the next meeting between the Indonesian and Malaysians officers scheduled for next month.

“I have told my officers to resolve this issue in the next meeting.

“We want all sides to stop speculating. There is no point as speculation does not help anyone at all.

“I hope things will be solved in a conducive manner for all,” he added.

There had been speculations and various statement issued as to what the new salary scheme would be like for Indonesian maids with some reports quoting the figure as RM800 while others stating that it would be RM500 per month.

On charges imposed by agencies on maids, Dr Subramaniam said discussions were ongoing to streamline the charges.

“The suggestion from the Malaysian side is to reduce the difference in a few categories but discussions are ongoing.

“We will try and reduce the charge to an appropriate level for employers that need maids.

“At present, some agencies are asking for RM7,000 while some want RM7,500. We need to streamline and reach a realistic figure,” he added.- Star, 21/9/2009, Indonesian maids salaries: Don’t speculate, says Subra