Domestic workers' organizations and participatory approaches to labour standards enforcement: The case of Jamaica

Abstract

Focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, this article explores the role of domestic workers' organizations in labour standards enforcement. Drawing on qualitative data, we examine the case of the Jamaica Household Workers' Union in the wake of Jamaica's ratification of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189). Findings indicate that the Union participates directly and indirectly in enforcement. While not a substitute for state-led enforcement, the case study illustrates the potential of a worker-centred, participatory approach to enforcement in the domestic work sector and suggests that worker voice and collective representation through organizing is key to fulfilling the promise of the Convention.