In the middle of this week, the campaign "No domestic worker is illegal" handed over its petition to the Federal Council. More than 21,000 people have signed the demand for more rights and protection for female domestic workers without a regular residence status. The urgency to improve the protection of these people has increased even further with the adoption of the popular initiative on 9 February.
With the handing over of 21 875 signatures the campaign "No female domestic worker is illegal" reached its climax and at the same time its conclusion on Wednesday 05.03.2014. The petition demands a residence permit for female domestic workers without a regular residence status as well as their social protection. Furthermore, they should be granted access to the labour court without having to fear expulsion from the country.
The ball is in the Federal Council's court
On Wednesday, 100 people danced through Bern with bucket and broom. Their destination was the Federal Chancellery. There they presented the Federal Council with the petition for more rights for female domestic workers without a regular residence status. Among the signatories were former Federal Councillor Ruth Dreifuss, former President of the Federal Supreme Court Giusep Nay, writer Pedro Lenz and film-maker Fernand Melgar.
Even more important since the vote on 9 February
At the presentation of the petition, Elisabeth Joris (President of the sponsoring association) stated: "A regularisation of sans-papiers is all the more urgent after the vote on 9 February". In view of the imminent tightening of laws in the migration sector, she warned against carrying out the problem on the back of the sans-papiers: "If the demand for labour on the part of the economy remains the same, the more sans-papiers will have to do this work, the stricter the admission requirements for a work permit will be".
