When Push Comes to Shove — Demi’s Story of Resistance
An Indonesian Domestic Worker’s Fight for her rights
Demi came to Hong Kong to explore a new life, she escaped from her home in Indonesia to experience working abroad. In her own words “She just wanted to see, she wanted to learn.”
Demi had heard stories of ill treatment of some domestic workers in Hong Kong, and as she first signed her contract she began her learning experience. The fixed wage for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is HKD 3500, domestic workers are trained by agencies prior to their arrival in Hong Kong. These agencies then act as a “middle man” between the employer and the domestic worker. When Demi first signed her contract she was surprised that she was made to sign “receiving of salary” for the months she did not receive salary for, she was even more baffled when she received HKD 2000, fifteen hundred dollars less than what her contract stated.
For the first few months, Demi thought this was an initial “set up”, she was unable to find out more details because she was not allowed to leave her employer’s apartment. Employers are mandated to give one day off to their maids. Despite that, Demi was unable to even visit the church, only a few minutes away from her employers house. But as her employer began to train her do some grocery shopping, Demi soon got an opportunity to speak to other domestic workers, some of whom narrated similar stories. Her query was at last answered when she got her hands on a domestic workers guide book, that listed basic information about her rights. Distraught she decided to speaker to employer once again, only to be told that her“lack of skills” meant that she was to receive a lower amount. “But why then do I have to sign a receiving for HKD 3500?” her questions went unanswered yet again. Contacting the agency was even worse “This is an arrangement between you and your employer, we have nothing to do with this..” Demi knew she needed to take a stand, with an unfair wage and working 7 days a week for over a year, she decided to fight back.
“This is unfair, either you pay me a fair salary and my mandated holiday or I leave..” she told her employed, as a result her passport and other documents were confescated, but that did not stop Demi. She left her employer’s house and threatened to inform the police, and only when she eventually reported the matter she was able to receive her documents. Demi was only able to escape because she was able to secure shelter at a church. Most domestic workers do not stand up to unfair working conditions fearing for their job. As a domestic worker in Hong Kong, termination of contract means that one needs to find a job within “two weeks” or face deportation.
Demi is now working with a new employer and is happy “Things are okay, I am okay..”. Lack of information and support of domestic workers coupled with corruption by the agencies remains one of the main reasons why young migrant women continue to face abuse and harsh working conditions.
