J'AI VU L'ESCLAVAGE MODERNE À HONG KONG - Tour du monde

Foreign domestic workers come to Hong Kong to work for families, performing tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and childcare.

NGOs and media describe their working conditions as modern slavery due to systematic exploitation.

Sunday is the only day off for the vast majority of Hong Kong's domestic workers.

Workers gather by the thousands in parks and public spaces of the business district, sitting on cardboard before returning to their employers in the evening.

Workers cannot afford decent housing in Hong Kong where rent is extremely expensive.

Visa rules mandate that domestic workers must sleep at their employer's residence where they work, a highly restrictive requirement.

The requirement to live with employers increases the overall burden and working hours for domestic workers.

Workers fear losing their jobs or visas, making it challenging to collect their accounts of working conditions.

The minimum salary is fixed at 400 euros per month, which is less than Hong Kong citizens' minimum wage.

Workers must use placement agencies to find employment, and they must pay these agencies for their services.

Many workers end up giving their entire first month's salary directly to the agency, leaving them with no initial income.

Similar situations exist in other countries including the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.

• Unions and organizations have developed to support domestic workers • These groups provide advocacy and collective representation for workers' rights

Organizations like TCK Learning offer free language courses, computer classes, and artistic activities for domestic workers.

Workers use their only day off each week to study and develop new skills useful for their future in Hong Kong or their home countries.

• Real change requires many initiatives like those from TCK Learning • A shift in government mentality is essential across all affected countries