Under the slogan “Domestic Workers. Invisible Workers”, nearly fifty people took part in a march organised by Càritas Mallorca in Palma to raise awareness of the reality faced by domestic workers. Despite some improvements in their working conditions, many live-in workers continue to experience precarious and vulnerable situations.

domestic workers

Image of the demonstration for domestic workers’ rights upon arrival at Cort. Photo: Càritas Mallorca.

The walk began at the Càritas headquarters, where bibs were handed out, and continued through several streets in the city centre before reaching plaça de Cort. There, five domestic workers read a manifesto with various demands.

Main demands of domestic workers

  • Improvements for live-in workers, including a limit on working hours, an increase in daily rest time, and fair wage recognition.
  • Professional classification to differentiate domestic tasks from caregiving duties.
  • Decent working conditions, including formal contracts, Social Security registration for actual hours worked, fair wages, and the right to holidays and leave.
  • Support measures for employment, both for private employers and businesses, adapted to their needs.
  • Greater oversight and enforcement of labour regulations to ensure equal rights for domestic workers under the general employment scheme.

Labour realities of the sector

Among the main issues faced by domestic workers are working hours exceeding 40 hours per week, 24-hour availability for live-in workers, a lack of respect for the daily two-hour rest period, the requirement to care for highly dependent individuals alone, and difficulties in accessing information about their rights due to isolation in the workplace.

During the event, the importance of the sector in the economy was highlighted, along with the recognition of 30 March as International Domestic Workers’ Day by the United Nations. The march in Palma is part of a series of activities organised by Cáritas across the country to raise awareness and improve the working conditions of these employees.