The Chief Executive Officer for Domestic Helpers Organization (DHO), Chelsea Alma Heroe, has said that over 80 percent of domestic helpers have been left Jobless due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Sierra Leone.
She made this statement when she spoke to Premier News on Thursday June 25, 2020.
DHO is an organization that advocates and champions the welfare, human respect, and dignity of marginalized groups, especially domestic helpers in Sierra Leone.
Heroe said that the coronavirus preventives measures caused some employers to lay off some of their house helps while others are working intermittently.
She contended that the layoffs are some of the direct financial impacts of the Coronavirus on employers.
“Although some domestic helpers are still in employment, but they are receiving half of their expected salaries from employer, which is very challenging for their survival,” Heroe added. She noted that there is an international convention which guarantees the welfare of domestic helpers, and added that it provides for the social welfare, fair wages; end of service benefits and protection of domestic workers.
She called on government to recognize and ensure its compliance to create more jobs in the informal sector as the coronavirus has immensely affected the informal sector in the country.
“Domesticating the convention would create an impact on the lives of vulnerable and less privilege people to be gainfully employed in the informal sector by formalizing the sector that would create a reduction in social exclusion and social inequality,” she added.
She called on the government to implement all the recommendations on the welfare of domestic helpers that had been tabled before it, adding that that would create an immediate and positive impact on the lives of those that are employed in the informal sector.
She admonished domestic helpers who had lost jobs to be fervent, and noted that there is life after the Coranavirus in accordance with the theme of this year’s domestic workers day celebration: “There is Life beyond Coronavirus.”
By George Modupeh Okeh Williams
30/6/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7855