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Amnesty Report: Indonesian FDHs live in 'Slave-like' conditions in HK

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  1. #21

    Lack of knowledge...will coused slavery.....meybe if indonesian and Hk goverment....make more easier..agreement ...for indonesian migrant worker...will be better in advance....

    Sent from my SM-T211 using GeoClicks mobile app


  2. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    Disgusting. The odd case is to be expected but this is a shame on hk. Might be worse in other countries but that is no excuse.
    Definitely worse, much worse in the middle eastern countries (employers there could withhold helper's passport and not let them leave). Still, no excuse. We don't owe headhunters any fees for placing us with a company, so don't see why these helpers need to pay the recruitment fee. So rotten

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Gatts:
    Isn't it about time the whole domestic helper thing gets phased out altogether and the government invests in quality daycare centers instead? Like, you know other places in the modern world?

    Any which way you spin it a helper situation is a form of modern slavery anyway.
    You have my support

  4. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Azuremain:
    Day care is worrying as that would give them Chicomms just another place to brainwash the next generations. Instead parents should stop regarding their kid as an assest for their retirement and start being parents. That is one of them should stay home and be there for the kid.
    That's just a whole lot of bullshit

  5. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by 100LL:
    I have personal experience with one of these agencies.

    Long story short:
    - Hired her through an agency that was here on Geo
    - All good, she started to work
    - Agent calls my wife on payday and wants to speak to helper
    - I smell something fishy
    - Helper told me he wants to convince her to pay faster, as others also pay more than agreed
    - I can't believe that she needs to pay $9k, $1000 or $2000 a month (don't remember exactly)
    - She also tells me that he has her passport when I ask
    - I take taxi and confront the guy
    - He, Turkish, and assistant (Filipina, probably his girlfriend) deny everything
    - Claim not aware of government maximum they can charge
    - Change to "the maximum is not for "finish contract" helpers, only for new helpers"
    - Change to "ok, we know it's illegal, but all agencies do that and we couldn't survive otherwise"
    - Hand back the passport to me, out of a box wit dozens of other passports

    I reported this to Shri (they advertised here) and to the police in written form with DETAILS how to shut them down.

    Months later police calls me and ask me what nationality I am. I think they then asked what Nationality our helper is. In any case, nothing happened. I sent them an exact and detailed written report with my first communication, including personal details, addresses, phone numbers, location of box with passports, estimated number of passports in box, etc... we are talking possibly a few dozen passports in the box at that moment, with a possible damage north of $500k and people suffering. With "luck" a list of other victims they had during he years (they were already in business for a few years). Not some petty crime that can go on the backburner for a few months and then a call every few weeks to ask a stupid question (that was actually already answered in the original report).

    My conclusion: racially motivated, or at least the police seems not to care about people from certain countries. They made it clear by asking the most important question first.
    Did your helper get her passport back? Can't expect people to do the right thing here unless they think you can make them look bad or lose face

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by vmlinuz:
    Erm, you really think the same few people repeatedly making the same points again and again when this topic comes up every few days/weeks is likely to contribute in the slightest to actually changing anything?
    This board is nothing but re-hashed topics. It's a message board designed to promote thought and engage people in conversation. It doesn't necessarily have to provide "change".

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by wtbhotia:
    The worst part is the agents, the Indo maids needs at least 6 months salary to pay off the agency fees so for the 1st six months they accept any abuse they get, they cannot afford to terminate the contract, The Indonesian consulate requires the maids to use Agencies, their own govt is forcing them to be slaves to the agencies.

    Most locals knows this and they know that the Indo maids will do whatever they ask and work as long as ordered, they know the maids cannot afford to quit and leave. Sucks big time.

    Filipino maids have it easier on that part but even the HK Immg is trying to make it difficult for them to change employers if the contract is not yet fully finished.
    The worst part is not the agencies ( though they are bad ). The core problem lies with the people of Hong Kong and the self serving system that tolerates abuses of helpers that they otherwise wouldn't tolerate among "their own".

    The fact Hong Kong people are "ok" with forcing helpers to live in. The fact there are no laws or restrictions on the amount of hours these helpers can be worked. That is the real problem. Helpers are clearly treated differently. Hong Kong people would not have the same lack of laws and protections if their own children had the potential to become helpers.
    kimwy66 likes this.

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bombastic:
    Definitely worse, much worse in the middle eastern countries (employers there could withhold helper's passport and not let them leave). Still, no excuse. We don't owe headhunters any fees for placing us with a company, so don't see why these helpers need to pay the recruitment fee. So rotten
    The fact we are even thinking about comparing a Hong Kong scheme to one in countries where women aren't allowed to drive a car is very telling.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by closedcasket:
    The fact we are even thinking about comparing a Hong Kong scheme to one in countries where women aren't allowed to drive a car is very telling.
    There is only ONE country they aren't allowed to drive in, no need to paint the rest of the middle east with that brush.
    DeannaX likes this.

  10. #30

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    I'm just curious about two things...

    1. To what extent is paying for the agency or the training (as mentioned in that video) any different than, say, the UK telling me I have to get a Tesol certificate for 800 pounds before hiring me to teach for 11.00 pounds an hour? (When I have years of teaching experience and a masters in linguistics.) I could also give some bad stories of Americans forking out thousands and thousands to get a bachelors degree that only leads to a job slightly above minimum wage -- they sign to take out massive bank loans when they are hardly old enough to even understand what interest is.
    Clearly agencies should do their job to use good business practices and not change agreed-upon fees, etc., as LL100 described (which, to be bias myself, I don't find surprising from a Turkish person.. hmph!), and that should be more tightly regulated.

    2. How can the issue of abuse in the home be addressed when the "workplace" for domestic helpers is a very intimate setting between the employer and employee? How much "abuse" happens internally within families/couples and to what extent is this "abuse" simply an extension of that bad behavior we exhibit with our families? How could you realistically resolve that or make people not be better employers when they have their employee around them at very personal times? Outside of our homes there is maybe more social pressure to behave better and more nicely, like in our office/work environments.