IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Secretary Ma Wei Pin joined a rally by the affiliated United Voice at the Philippines Consulate in Sydney to press for wide ratification of ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers. A message was delivered congratulating the government of the Philippines as the first country in the region to ratify the Convention. Wei Pin urged the Philippines government to press other governments in the region to ratify; Mel Gatfield, assistant secretary of United Voice (New South Wales), called on the Australian government to sign in order to guarantee domestic workers basic labour rights and protection.
Wei Pin also congratulated all organizations around the world who worked for the successful adoption of Convention 189 [1] at the June 2011 ILO Conference, citing in particular the International Domestic Workers Network [2] (IDWN) coordinated by Elizabeth Tang in Hong Kong.
United Voice delegation led by ACTU Belinda Tkalcevic (right of the Consul), Marford M Angeles (Consul, Philippine Consulate General), center, Ma Wei Pin (IUF Regional Secretary A/P), left of the Consul, Rebecca Reilly (IUF A/P Region), and Mel Gatfield (United Voice NSW Branch Assistant Secretary) in front of the Philippines Consulate in Sydney Australia on December 12.