International regulations against human and labor exploitation in domestic work: the UN and the ILO

Abstract

Domestic work is a precarious job with risk of deriving situations of human exploitation (slavery, servitude, forced labor, trafficking in human beings) or labor (non-compliance with labor standards). Situations of human exploitation are prohibited in the universal human rights texts and in the conventions on slavery of the United Nations. The Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery recommends a two-pronged approach to erradicating domestic servitude: repressive criminal treatment / improvement of labor regulation. In this last line, the ILO has approved Convention 189 and Recommendation 201 on decent work for domestic workers (2011). The contents of these norms and recommendations are analyzed in order to examine what Spain must do to improve compliance with its international commitments.