Estrada wants Congress to fine tune Kasambahay Act with ILO Convention 189

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said on Wednesday that he expects Congress to fine tune the provisions of the proposed Kasambahay Act to make it congruent to the standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 189.

”The Kasambahay Bill was as early as December 2010 but still pending approval before the House of Representatives.

“The Senate has approved the Kasambahay Bill at a time when the issue of domestic work was gaining ground in the ILO and long before the conference adopted Convention 189. So to ensure that the two measures will not contradict the other and make sure that Kasambahay Act as an enabling law is effective and relevant, I think it is imperative that Congress considers the standards set forth by the newly-ratified Convention,” Estrada said.

Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development and Congressional Oversight Committee on Labor and Employment, said the officials of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) were working closely with some members of Congress to harmonize the version of the bill with ILO Convention.

Estrada said that the amendments and revisions to the Kasambahay Bill should be taken up and resolved through the bicameral conference committee.
President Aquino ratified ILO Convention 189 or the Convention concerning Domestic Work for Domestic Workers on May 18, 2012.

Meanwhile, the Senate is expected to take up the resolution calling for the concurrence in the ratification of ILO Convention 189 upon resumption of its plenary session on July 23.

Estrada cited that the Senate-approved version of Kasambahay Bill and the existing Labor Code already contained provisions being espoused by Domestic Workers Convention 2011, such as the promotion of human rights of all household helpers and recognition of rights at work, prescription of written contract on terms and conditions of employment, entitlement to benefits similar to ordinary employees (membership to Social Security System, PhilHealth and PAG-IBIG), and prohibition against bonded labor and withholding of wages.