According to ILO estimates, there are between 50 and 100 million
domestic workers worldwide and many countries have traditionally
excluded them from employee protection legislation. Ian Williams
reports from the state of New York, which passed the first law
in the United States establishing a social and legal safety net
for domestic workers in August 2010. The plight of domestic
workers is not just a “domestic” issue. Domestic workers are
mostly immigrants in developed countries, and many are
undocumented. This is especially the situation in the United
States. Apart from occasional bursts of such publicity, domestic
workers work alone, or in small groups in private homes, out of
sight and out of mind. They are perennially vulnerable and more
likely to be excluded from social and legal safety nets. But
there is hope now that things will change. The new ILO Domestic
Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189) which received overwhelming
support from delegates to the 100th Session of the International
Labour Conference i