A Hong Kong court’s decision to uphold a compulsory rule for migrant domestic workers to live with their employers drew criticism on Tuesday from labour rights advocates, who said it exposed foreign maids to conditions akin to modern slavery.
The live-in rule for Hong Kong’s 370,000 domestic workers, mostly women from poor families in the Philippines and Indonesia, has long been denounced as discriminatory and inhumane – essentially putting employees on call 24 hours a day.
Monday’s court ruling responded to a challenge to the requirement that was filed three years ago by Filipino Nancy Lubiano. She argued that the rule was unconstitutional and violated her labour rights.
