October 27, 2014

Modern Slavery Bill; Overseas Domestic Worker amendment

Kalayaan is calling for an amendment to the Modern Slavery Bill in order to ensure that the Bill both prevents the trafficking and abuse of migrant domestic workers and allows those who are abused to escape and access justice. The current tied visa undermines the stated purposes of the Bill to prevent slavery. We are delighted that Labour have strongly condemned the tied visa and are committed to an amendment to the Modern Slavery Bill to protect migrant domestic workers.

The Anti Trafficking Monitoring Group on which Kalayaan sits has produced an Alternative Bill which outlines how a Bill which provides meaningful protections for victims and the tools to combat slavery would look. Section 19 details the protections which should exist for migrant domestic workers and contains what we believe is necessary for an amendment on ODWs.

Sign the petition #NoToSlavery

Together with Justice 4 Domestic Workers, Unite the Union and HOPE not hate among others we are petitioning Government to reinstate domestic workers rights. We have already delivered over 10,000 signatures to the petition to 10 Downing street and will back making another delivery on the 18 October. Please sign the petition to tell the Government that they need to rid the UK of a visa system which is shown to facilitate the abuse, including trafficking and slavery of domestic workers.

Write to your MP

Write to your MP, outlining your concerns regarding the tying of vulnerable workers to their employer and how this undermines the Modern Slavery Bill and the Government’s stated commitments on slavery as well as our commitments on trafficking. Please ask your MP where they stand on this issue and to support an amendment to the Modern Slavery Bill which would reverse the 2012 changes. If you like you can base your letter on this template [link to document], it will be more powerful if you use as much of your own wording as you can.

If you don’t know who your MP is you can find out here

Kalayaan would be interested to see copies of any responses you receive. Please send these to kate@Kalayaan.org.uk