VOA标准英语2010年-ILO Seeks Global Support for Domestic

Steps to launch an international convention on domestic workers led by the United Nations are slowly gaining global support at a time of rising demand for domestic staff in the world economy. A senior U.N. International Labor¹ Organization official is confident the convention - aimed at protecting domestic workers and children - will provide coverage² against abuses.

The fight for labor rights for millions of domestic workers made significant gains this year during growing support for an International Labor Organization-backed convention, despite initial resistance from countries such as China and Indonesia.

Senior ILO official Manuela Tomei, who oversees³ work conditions and employment, said the convention - currently in draft form - would mark a major step in labor protection for domestic workers.

"Huge, because it will lay down what minimum protection is for domestic workers at the international level; knowing that nationally there are many countries that exclude from the scope of national legislation, domestic workers. So there is a problem about a lack of norms nationally that could help guide what decent treatment of domestic workers is," said Tomei.

In the June talks, more than 60 countries voted for a set of binding⁴ international standards in a convention to protect and empower domestic workers.

Asia has the largest number of domestic workers. China is reported to have up to 20 million domestic workers, while the ILO estimates Thailand has as many as 700,000 employed domestic workers. Efforts are underway in Indonesia to organize domestic workers with national networks.

Labor groups said Indonesia and China are among countries that appeared to initially⁵ resist the draft convention.

The convention deals with issues that include the right to work, discrimination, exclusion⁶ of child labor from domestic work, freedom to organize and engage in collective action, labor contracts, insurance, and rights to payment.

In the Middle East, rights groups recently have cited Kuwait for failure to protect the more than 600,000 domestic workers from abuses, including unpaid⁷ salaries, no weekend leave, enforced servitude, and inadequate⁸ food.

Tomei said a key concern remains⁹ the high incidence of child domestic workers in South Asia and Africa. Asia faces regular reports of abuse of domestic workers. Indonesia and Malaysia recently have held talks to reach agreement on protecting domestic workers. Tomei says the convention would mark a major step to preventing abuse once ratified¹⁰.

"The convention if adopted, and the ILO organization could help and support the process of avoiding or reducing the incidence of abuses against domestic workers also. We hear a lot of abuses and violation¹¹ of human rights of domestic workers. These certainly are tragic¹² instances that need to be addressed," said Tomei.

Tomei also said, though, there are signs of progress with evidence of "proactive action" to assist domestic workers, as well as incentives¹³ for employers. Tomei said she is optimistic that in June 2011 a final decision on the international norms for agreement appeared "pretty good."
 

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

3 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

4 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

7 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

8 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

11 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

13 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法