Interested in an interview about the 24/7 campaign or Taste Culture contact 24sevencampaign@gmail.com

24/7 Campaign

ONE DAY-OFF A WEEK

A Coalition Celebrates International Workers’ Day

by Highlighting the Rights of Migrant Domestic Workers

(Zico House, Beirut, April 28, 2010) – A coalition comprising Lebanese and international NGOs, a magazine, and concerned individuals organized a press conference today to launch a week-long campaign demanding better work conditions for migrant domestic workers, including the right to a weekly day-off. The campaign entitled “24/7” will culminate in a series of events held over 24 consecutive hours mainly on May 1, International Workers’ Day, preceded by a week-long blog and Twitter campaign.

“Many domestic workers in Lebanon work all day, every day,” said a representative of the coalition. “It is time for employers to give them their day-off.”

Lebanese labor laws exclude domestic workers from rights guaranteed to other workers, such as a weekly day of rest, limits on work hours, paid holidays, and workers’ compensation. This leaves many of them subject to exploitation and frequent abuse by employers and agencies. Their situation is made worse by immigration sponsorship laws that tie a domestic worker’s residency to a specific employer, making it difficult to change employers, even in cases of abuse.

In January 2009, the Ministry of Labor finally introduced a standard employment contract that clarifies certain terms and conditions of employment for domestic workers, such as the maximum number of daily working hours and the need for a 24-hour rest period each week. However, the standard contract is not being enforced.

The coalition will hold a number of events to raise awareness about the rights of domestic workers and to challenge negative stereotypes regarding migrant domestic workers.

On the agenda:

• April 24-30: Week-long Twitter and blogging campaign in which digital activists speak up on the issue of migrant rights and share their experiences.
• April 30, Friday (9pm to 2am): African Dance Party at Art Lounge, Qarantina.
• May 1, Saturday: International Workers’ Day events:
• (9am to 2pm) Food festival featuring Ethiopian, Sri Lankan, Philippine, Sudanese, and Nigerian cuisine, as well as a Capoeira performance at Souk el Tayeb, Saifi parking lot.
• (3pm to 5pm) Solidarity march (location TBA)
• (5:30pm) Free concert featuring various artists (including Zeid Hamdan, FareeQ el Atrash, Lazzy Lungs and more) in solidarity with migrant domestic workers (location TBA)
• (Whole day) Multiple artistic and cultural activities all around Beirut, including public performances by Clown Me In, LIVING (a duo performance) by Kiki Bokassa and Semaan Khawam, as well as a city-wide photography exhibition by Elsie Haddad.

The coalition is formed by Nasawiya, Kazamaza magazine, Kafa (Enough Violence & Exploitation), Insan Association, Visual & Performing Arts Association (VAPA), Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), COSV, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International – Lebanon, Souk el Tayeb, Migrant-Rights.org, Collective for Research and Training on Development – Action (CRTD.A), Nahwa Al-Muwatiniya (Na-aM), Taste Culture and concerned individuals.

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