CARITAS Singapore warmly welcomes the suggestion by Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob to legislate a weekly day off for domestic helpers ('Consider law to give maids a day off every week: Halimah'Monday).

Caritas Singapore is an umbrella body with 23 affiliate member organisations whose work touches the lives of more than 50,000 beneficiaries, including foreign workers and domestic helpers.

We strongly support the suggestion by Madam Halimah and hope that the Ministry of Manpower will consider implementing a day off each week not just for foreign domestic helpers but for all workers in Singapore.

Such a move will be in line with one of the key elements that was adopted at the recent International Labour Organisation Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

We believe that this would go a long way in protecting domestic workers and their basic rights and dignity, which include limits to hours of work, a minimum wage, and a decent place for rest.

George Lim
Chairman
Caritas Singapore

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_683238.html