That was not the declared intention of the government in previous runs of this
discussion. It is not clear that position changed. Society, in general, seems to
care little about their predicaments or expectations. It has never appeared as a
priority for those who set the agenda.
Further, as expected, the matter will not be discussed before the end of the current government’s mandate, notwithstanding earlier assurances to the contrary.
Domestic workers have a case.
They are entitled to feel that their work is under-valued and to believe there are subject to unfair discrimination. Some figures will show why. Domestic work has been the fastest growing segment in the labor force, beating even our economic driver, the gaming sector.
Since 2003, their number increased more than six-fold, while population rose by less than 50 per cent. Has a result, in rough terms, we went from a situation where there was a
domestic worker per more than 30 households to one where that figure stands at
about one per eight households.
This remarkable change freed many families from house chores, allowing them
to look and pursue professional opportunities that might be otherwise unavailable
to them. Personal and family incomes benefited enormously.
However, if we look into those workers earnings, the contrast could hardly be more striking. While the overall median income went up 3.3 times in the same period, the
median income of domestic workers rose by less than 50 percent. When
adjusted for inflation, it changed little.
The comparison with the median earnings for the local population is even more striking. They earn about one-fifth of the local’s median, which has doubled in the last ten years alone. If we take their statements about pay and working hours as plausible, which they
seem, some domestic workers may be getting as little as MOP10 per hour of
effective work.
It is difficult not to feel sympathy for their associations’ demands
and grievances. It is also difficult not to believe they are bound for a
disappointment. Unless at some point the relevant administrative and
consultative bodies feel ethically challenged by such state of affairs.
