In the middle of this week, the “No domestic worker is illegal” campaign handed over its petition to the Federal Council. Over 21,000 people have signed the petition calling for more rights and protection for domestic workers without regular residence status. The urgency to improve the protection of these people has increased even further with the adoption of the popular initiative on February 9.
The “No domestic worker is illegal” campaign reached its climax and conclusion on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 with the handover of 21,875 signatures. The petition demands a residence permit for domestic workers without regular residence status as well as their social protection. Furthermore, they should be granted access to the labor 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 cleaning buckets and brooms. Their destination was the Federal Chancellery. There they presented the Federal Council with the petition for more rights for domestic workers without 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 filmmaker Fernand Melgar.
Even more important since the vote on 9 February
When handing over the petition, Elisabeth Joris (President of the sponsoring association) stated: “The regularization of undocumented migrants has become even more urgent after the vote on 9 February”. With regard to the forthcoming tightening of migration legislation, she warned against putting the problem on the backs of undocumented migrants: “If the demand for work from the economy remains the same, the stricter the admission requirements for a work permit are, the more undocumented migrants will have to do this work.”
