Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Lebanon (Ratification: 1977)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 1(1) and 2(1) of the Convention. Vulnerable situation of migrant domestic workers to conditions of forced labour. In its earlier comments, the Committee noted the observation of 2013 from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), indicating that there are an estimated 200,000 migrant domestic workers employed in Lebanon. These workers are excluded from the protection of the Labour Law, have a legal status tied to a particular employer under the kafala (sponsorship) system, and legal redress is inaccessible to them. Moreover, they are subjected to various situations of exploitation, including delayed payment of wages, verbal, and sexual abuse. The Committee also requested the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the Bill regulating the working conditions of domestic workers, as well as the Standard Unified Contract (SUC) regulating their work are adopted in the very near future.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that, the Bill regulating the working conditions of domestic workers was drafted in conformity with Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), and the Bill has been submitted to the Council of Ministers for discussion. The Bill will provide a certain number of safeguards, including social security coverage; decent accommodation; the timely payment of wages through bank transfer; hours of work (eight hours per day); sick leave; and a day of rest. The Government also indicates that a Steering Committee has been established under the Ministry of Labour in order to deal with issues related to migrant domestic workers and is composed of relevant Ministerial Departments, representatives of the private recruitment agencies, NGOs, certain international organizations, as well as representatives of certain embassies. A representative from the ILO Decent Work Technical Support Team in Beirut is also participating in the Steering Committee.

Moreover, the Government indicates that the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour have taken a series of preventive measures, including awareness raising campaigns through the media; the establishment of a shelter “Beit al Aman” for migrant domestic workers who are facing difficulties in collaboration with Caritas; the appointment of social assistants who look into the working conditions of migrant domestic workers in their workplaces; the training of labour inspectors on decent working conditions; and the conclusion of a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with sending countries, such as the Philippines, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka. The Government further states that the Ministry of Labour has set up a specialized office for complaints and a hotline to provide legal assistance to migrant domestic workers. Moreover, under the Recruitment Agencies of Migrant Domestic Workers Decree No. 1/168 of 2015, it is prohibited to impose recruitment fees on all workers.

The Committee further notes that in its 2015 concluding observations, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) welcomed the various measures adopted by the State party to protect the rights of women migrant domestic workers, including issuing unified contracts, requiring employers to sign up to an insurance policy, regulating employment agencies, adopting a law criminalizing trafficking in persons and integrating such workers into the social charter and the national strategy for social development. The CEDAW, however, expressed concern that the measures have proved insufficient to ensure respect for the human rights of those workers. The CEDAW is equally concerned about the rejection by the Ministry of Labour of the application by the National Federation of Labour Unions to establish a domestic workers’ union, the absence of an enforcement mechanism for the work contracts of women migrant domestic workers, limited access for those workers to health care and social protection and the non-ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189). The CEDAW was further concerned about the high incidence of abuse against women migrant domestic workers and the persistence of practices, such as the confiscation of passports by employers and the maintenance of the kafala system, which place workers at risk of exploitation and make it difficult for them to leave abusive employers. The CEDAW was deeply concerned about the disturbing documented reports of migrant domestic workers dying from unnatural causes, including suicides and falls from tall buildings, and about the failure of the State party to conduct investigations into those deaths (CEDAW/C/LBN/CO/4-5, paragraph 37).

While taking note of the measures taken by the Government, the Committee notes with concern that migrant domestic workers are subjected to abusive employer practices, such as retention of passports, non-payment of wages, deprivation of liberty and physical abuse. Such practices might cause their employment to be transformed into situations that amount to forced labour. The Committee therefore urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to provide migrant domestic workers with an adequate legal protection, by ensuring that the Bill regulating the working conditions of domestic workers will be adopted in the very near future and to provide a copy of the legislation, once adopted. The Committee also urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that migrant domestic workers are fully protected from abusive practices and working conditions that amount to forced labour.

Article 25. Penal sanctions for the exaction of forced labour. In its earlier comments, the Committee noted that according to the ITUC’s information, it was found that a lack of accessible complaint mechanisms, lengthy judicial procedures, and restrictive visa policies dissuade many workers from filing or pursuing complaints against their employers. Even when workers file complaints, the police and judicial authorities regularly fail to treat certain abuses against domestic workers as crimes. The Committee also noted the Government’s indication that section 569 of the Penal Code, which establishes penal sanctions against any individual who deprives another of their personal freedom, applies to the exaction of forced labour. It requested the Government to provide information on any legal proceedings which had been instituted on the basis of section 569 as applied to forced labour and on the penalties imposed.

The Committee further notes that in its 2015 concluding observations, the CEDAW observed that migrant domestic workers face obstacles with regard to their access to justice, including fear of expulsion and insecurity of residence.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the work of migrant domestic workers is regulated by the SUC and that the application of section 569 of the Penal Code is of the competency of the judiciary when a violation is detected. The Committee also notes copies of court decisions provided by the Government. It observes that the cases are related to non-payment of wages, harassment and working conditions of migrant domestic workers. In all cases employers have been sentenced to pay a monetary penalty to compensate the workers.

While noting this information, the Committee recalls that Article 25 of the Convention provides that the exaction of forced labour shall be punishable as a penal offence. The Committee therefore urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that employers who engage migrant domestic workers in situations amounting to forced labour are subject to really adequate and strictly enforced penalties. It requests the Government to provide information on measures taken in this regard.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request directly addressed to the Government.

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.