Labour of burden: an analysis of occupational change - the domestic worker

Increasingly a number of writers have written about the impact of the service sector on the overall growth and performance of economies. Generally addressing knowledge based industries and their importance for the future of any economy they often overlook the unskilled aspect of the service sector and its importance in providing work for unskilled labour. Set against this background this paper seeks to provide a historical perspective on the changing nature of occupations and the employment relationship embodied in that occupation. It does so by looking at the role of domestic workers (also known as domestic servants, housekeepers, maids, household technicians) and their employers. Viewed traditionally in a negative light as a "dead end" blue collar occupation with low remuneration, unpleasant working conditions and little opportunity for career advancement, it has failed to achieve the advancement made by other blue collar industries in terms of pay and conditions. This can be attributed due to its solitary nature, lack of collective organisation and semi formal existence ie: lack of registration within the formal employment framework. This has changed in recent times due to a concerted effort by housekeepers to redefine their role to that of an independent service provider. The nature of work performed by the domestic worker in the early to middle part of this century has been characterised by fragmented tasks completed on a repetitive basis whilst being overseen by the employer. This has evolved into a situation where the work takes on a sub-contracting nature, offering flexibility and specialisation. However this paper argues that this notion of independence may be threatened by the mass recruitment of domestic servants from the Third World. What is evident as a result is that the housekeeper who has attained certain pay and conditions and works independently is now being displaced by cheaper imported labour. This paper then seeks to address some of these issues which have arisen out of the evolution and dynamics of the occupation, and the important implications and ramifications it has for the division of labour within the domestic help economy.