Domestic Workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The ILO remains the only organisation to set out international standards on trade union rights, working conditions and pay, social security and labour law for domestic work. African states are rather hypocritical, as they ratify conventions regulating domestic work but fail to issue the necessary regulations or decrees to apply or implement them. In the DRC in particular, there are no laws regulating domestic work. Domestic workers are kept in servitude all day long, washing clothes, carrying heavy loads on their backs, digging holes over 1,000 metres deep for latrines, and so on. This gruelling work is underpaid. This category of workers is known in the region as 'YAYA' and 'BOYS', and the youngest 'maids' earn barely $0.35 a day, despite the fact that their work is arduous and physically demanding. The adoption of a fair law to protect and regulate the work of this category of people would be a relief.