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Slaving for a living

Slavery is alive and well in the UK, says a report by Anti-Slavery International.

The report, Britain’s secret slaves, says that the Home Office has resisted campaigns aimed at changing laws which allow for overseas employers to bring their domestic workers to the UK with them. These workers, who are mainly from the Philippines, are often physically abused, underpaid and made to work long hours.

A British campaign group, Kalayaan, found that between January and August 1992, 247 domestic workers sought help after fleeing abusive employers.

Such action takes courage since the workers, who are brought into the country on condition they leave with their employer, cannot change jobs. If they do, they face deportation. Even if they take out a court case against their employer for abuse, they can be deported before the case has gone through the courts. Many fear return to their countries where they may face stiff debts to the agencies who employed them, many of whom promise higher wages than are actually paid. In addition, escapees are forced to live in hiding, with no access to public services such as health care.

One well-documented case of abuse in the UK, cited in the Anti-Slavery International report, is that of the Indian maid of Kuwaiti princesses, who was whipped, mentally abused, starved and beaten. Such workers have no contract and no rights.

The government argues that if their employers were made to sign work contracts and domestic employers were allowed to change employer while in the UK, they would lose their jobs.

In 1990, the government introduced a special concession aimed at ensuring domestic workers are bona fide. Workers are also now given leaflets outlining their legal rights. The government justified this by saying that ‘domestic workers are admitted in this exceptional way in order to safeguard their livelihoods’.

But Anti-Slavery International says this is a cosmetic concession and may result in further abuse because it does not tackle the real problems. They are calling for the legal recognition of overseas domestic workers, for the right to transfer employers once in the UK, the right to settle legally in this country after four years of work here, and for the regularisation of immigration status for those who have left their employer.

They conclude: ‘We ask that overseas domestic workers be recognised as workers with rights.’

Britain’s secret slaves is available from: Anti-Slavery International, 180 Brixton Road, London SW9 6AT, price £5.50.