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Top 10 Ridiculous claims made about helpers

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  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zero Gravitas:
    So we shouldn't let them have Sunday either, go forbid they get pregnant on their day off.
    You can't get pregnant on Sunday - it's Jesus' day.
    Mat, Fiona in HKG, kimwy66 and 1 others like this.

  2. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by vmlinuz:
    You can't get pregnant on Sunday - it's Jesus' day.
    But what if you are Indonesian, then it would be Friday right?
    Mat, Fiona in HKG, kimwy66 and 1 others like this.

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Zero Gravitas:
    So we shouldn't let them have Sunday either, go forbid they get pregnant on their day off. <need a sarcasm smiley>
    I literally just got back from a business dinner where one of the party was expousing his wife's (singaporean) view about why they don't allow their helpers to have ANY days' off. It was all about them getting into trouble. They were not being nasty at all, they were PROTECTING their helpers. What's wrong with that? She apparently finds it impossible to see what might be wrong with it - I got the impression this woman SERIOUSLY thinks she's doing the right thing by her helpers. THAT's what's scary, imho. At least if they are going to abuse them; at least admit it!

  4. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    There was a government Manpower forum held last week. Here are what the Helper Employer Groups and agencies had to say:

    1. If workers live out they may become pregnant.

    I know we all want to see this twat:



    2. Let Employers confiscate passports.

    because that is totally what all good modern-day slavers should do.

    3. Employers suffer because they have to provide health coverage and insurance

    Health care is completely a waste of money when you lock-up the helper, beat them up and never let them out of the house.



    4. If helpers live-out, they will take up part-time employment

    because we need them to do part-time jobs for aunty, and to wash dishes at the restaurant and wash cars in the car-park.

    5. Helpers may leave positions for better opportunities

    We totally do not agree with workers having free-choice.

    6. Agencies should charge employers less

    Because we already get away with paying less than minimum wage, so it's totally not fair we should have to pay full fees.

    7. Let agencies charge more for helping distressed workers

    because it's such a bitch of a job to have to hold them up when they walk though the airport so it looks like they are ok to take a flight home.

    8. Cultural differences cause abuse

    nothing whatsoever to do with being plain mean and nasty with no respect for the dignity and rights of others.

    9. Employees have down-time that shouldn't count as work hours

    Because those 5 hours they get in bed we don't count as work.

    10. We should look to Singapore and Taiwan guidance.

    Both listed as tier 2 countries along with Hong Kong in the US Trafficking in Persons Report.




    http://hkhelperscampaign.com/top-10/
    I don't have any direct experience with maids in Taiwan, but I have relatives there who wanted to hire a maid to take care of their mother. They needed to have support from local doctors for the government to allow it. It was denied because they said her health was not at that stage. she was over 80 but not with extraordinary problems yet.
    Somehow that does not sound quite the same as what I have seen in Hong Kong. I am not sure both countries have similar policies. I used to work in Saudia Arabia. It was bad there, no question. From what I can see it is bad here as well. But then my experience is limited. No Kids, pets, or car to wash, and certainly no room for another person in the house.

  5. #15

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    But at the end of the day, no one ask the most important question, does the HK gov give a sh*t what any of us expat think about maid treatment? Nope, they couldn't care less.


  6. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jdayrutherford:
    I don't have any direct experience with maids in Taiwan, but I have relatives there who wanted to hire a maid to take care of their mother. They needed to have support from local doctors for the government to allow it. It was denied because they said her health was not at that stage. she was over 80 but not with extraordinary problems yet.
    Somehow that does not sound quite the same as what I have seen in Hong Kong. I am not sure both countries have similar policies. I used to work in Saudia Arabia. It was bad there, no question. From what I can see it is bad here as well. But then my experience is limited. No Kids, pets, or car to wash, and certainly no room for another person in the house.
    With all due respect, I think Middle Eastern countries that hire FDHs (i.e. Saudi Arabia, Dubai) treat them even worse than HK. There is no outcry in those countries over maid abuse. No rights whatsoever, unlike here in HK, where maids at least get a statutory min. wage. In HK, there are cases where the employer has been caught abusing maids and charged and sentenced to jail. I don't think that has ever happen in Saudi Arabia or Dubai (I could be wrong of course).

    The point is, as bad as HK is, it is not as bad as Saudi Arabia or Dubai...

  7. #17

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    The point is, as bad as HK is, it is not as bad as Saudi Arabia or Dubai...
    The point is we don't live in Saudi Arabia. There is always 'somewhere else' that is worse on any given topic.

    Doesn't and shouldn't prevent you from speaking out about issues on your own doorstep.
    100LL, z754103, bibbju and 3 others like this.

  8. #18

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    Original Post Deleted
    Predictably enough, your head is stuck in your ass. Isolated cases doesn't explain much.

    Because while its good that there were some example of prosecutions, is that the exception rather than the rule? Why haven't we heard more about this? Seems like HK, even with its rather lax enforcement of maid rights, have stronger record of prosecution against abusive maid employers.

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by kimwy66:
    The point is we don't live in Saudi Arabia. There is always 'somewhere else' that is worse on any given topic.

    Doesn't and shouldn't prevent you from speaking out about issues on your own doorstep.
    And where exactly did I say you should not speak out about issues on your own doorstep?

    Feel free to, but just don't hold your breath about the government actually caring about what you will say.
    Last edited by Watercooler; 05-03-2014 at 07:43 PM.

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Watercooler:
    And where exactly did I say you should not speak out about issues on your own doorstep? Feel free to, but just don't hold your breath about the government actually caring about what you will say.
    If we didnt you'd whinge like this
    There is no outcry in those countries over maid abuse
    Should we complain or should we not complain? What say you, the expert on everything? It seems no matter what one does, it wont make you happy