Brazil Expands Labor Rights For Domestic Workers

The landmark domestic workers law, passed as a constitutional amendment last year and strengthened this month, aims to extend some of Brazil's generous labor protections to the more than 6 million maids, nannies, eldercare givers, gardeners and caretakers who work in privates homes — many toiling long hours for little or, in some cases, no pay. After decades of working off the books, the 34-year-old was legally registered for the first time — meaning she now enjoys benefits such as paid transportation to and from work, paid vacation days and an annual "13th month" pay bonus that have long been sacrosanct for other Brazilian workers. The full impact of the law is hard to measure because informal work is not reported to the government, but experts estimate 300,000 domestic workers have lost their jobs as a result of the legislation, said Mario Avelino, who heads the Rio-based Instituto Domestica Legal, a nonprofit that lobbies for increased legal protection for maids. Legislation passed this month put teeth in the constitutional amendment by allowing fines of several hundred dollars against employers who fail to register domestic workers, though Avelino said the effect is blunted by another part of Brazil's constitution that bars authorities from inspecting private homes without the owners' permission. Live-in domestic laborers were long a fixture of all but the poorest households in Brazil, where it's rare to find even small, modest apartments without a designated "service area" for domestic workers to sleep and bathe.

Sections:  news   world   

 

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More World News