Morocco passes landmark law to crackdown on domestic child-labour

Morocco passes landmark law to crackdown on domestic child-labour
Thousands of domestic workers, including girls as young as eight, could be protected by Morocco's new domestic labour laws, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.
2 min read
01 August, 2016
Thousands of underage girls are exploited and abused by employers [File Photo: AFP]

Moroccan authorities adopted a new law aimed to regulate work for domestic workers, a move that could protect thousands of underage labourers from exploitation and abuse, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

Investigations into working conditions for labourers under the age of 18 showed girls as young as 8 were subjected to physical abuse and worked long hours for as little as $11 per month, HRW said.

“Domestic workers, who are most often poorly educated women and girls from the countryside, work in urban environments where they are isolated,” said Benchemsi.

“By providing domestic workers with legal, enforceable protection, Morocco is delivering the message that even the most vulnerable workers deserve humane conditions.”

The new law – expected to go into effect next year – raises the minimum working age from 15 to 18, “with a phase-in period of five years during which girls between 16 and 18 are allowed to work” and requires written contracts, a HRW statement explains.

It also sets a limits of 40 hours a week for working 16-17 year olds while adult hours stand at 48 per week.

The law holds employers who violate the conditions accountable with financial repercussions while also raising the minimum wage to $158 per month.

“This new law is ground-breaking for domestic workers in Morocco, so many of whom have been exploited and abused,” said Ahmed Benchemsi, Middle East and North Africa communications and advocacy director at Human Rights Watch.

“But wage and working hour provisions still fall short, especially the new minimum wage for domestic workers, which is much lower than the legal minimum wage for other workers.”

Human Rights Watch called on the government to launch a “public awareness campaign to ensure that both domestic workers and employers are aware of its provisions”.

Officials should also train inspectors overseeing the implementation of the new law and publicise repercussions against violating employers.