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Spain’s government passed a law on Tuesday giving hundreds of thousands of home cleaners and caregivers the right to receive unemployment benefits and other job protections for the first time.
Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz said the law would benefit more than 370,000 people, 95 percent of whom are women. She said the bill aims to end discrimination against workers whose jobs are chronically undervalued.
“If there’s one important job in our lives, it’s taking care and cleaning, so I think the country is better today,” Diaz said.
The law will go into effect in October. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday that the bill would be passed at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying it was to “end unacceptable injustice”.
Diaz said the law follows longstanding recommendations from the European Union and the International Labour Organization that people working in private homes should have the same rights as other workers.
Diaz said one-third of cleaners and caregivers are over 50 years old. Over 40% are foreigners, mainly from Colombia, Romania and Honduras.
Unions and domestic worker collectives have long campaigned for the bill. They argue that most house cleaners and caretakers have no social or labor protections and typically work up to 60 hours a week. They may also be fired without notice or reason.
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