Yasmine Soraya & Slamet Heri
Together they created a strong organization of Indonesian Domestic workers call IMWU. They organize in the union workers from Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam. Also they actively network with organizations in different cities which can support the campaign. The also represent Bondgenoten in conferences in Poland, Brussels and Geneva. They are proud members of our organizing committee who don’t wait for the union to give them perspective about their struggle but rather they bring that perspective to the union agenda. They are an inspiration not only in the Indonesian community but for our entire organizing committee.
Marten Amoah & Edwin Adjei
Without them dozens of Ghanaian domestic workers will never know about Bondgenoten and the domestic workers campaign. In the last months they partner to visit churches bringing a message to workers of hope and change. They are clear to their fellow Ghanaians that change will not come if they don’t take action. They understand the union is a vehicle that is needed to make visible domestic workers issues; but a vehicle that will only move when workers take an active role in driving the change. For them the trade union is a door that open and they will not let it close.
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Coring de los Reyes
She is a proud union member since the domestic workers decided to join in 2006. Since then, she have always campaign in her community for the importance of organizing and being members of the union. Before been an active leader; she founded a group call United Migrants Domestic Workers with the main purpose to support each other in their social, economic and organizing needs. In the group she created a fund that is supported mainly by fund raising parties, dinners and solidarity actions. If one UMDW is sick, pregnant, have an accident or is deported they are entitled to the fund. As well in many occasions Coring have collect money for domestic workers outside her group who are in need. As well, she is an expert informing domestic workers how to get access to health care. She herself have brought many to the OLVG and help them with procedures. Coring actively contribute to expand the support networks of other domestic workers. For instance, she introduce domestic workers to the Wereld Huis in Amsterdam (migrant center). This is the place where Coring and her group have organizing meetings and other activities. Nowadays, three groups from Ghana, Indonesia and Latin America benefits from the support of this network.Coring is convinced that the only way forward for domestic workers is the union. Therefore, last year Coring took an important decision. If you want to be an UMDW member you have to be a member of the union too.
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