“You think you’re so great just because you’re rich?”
“You try to hire a foreign domestic worker now. Can you get one?”
A YouTube video of an Indonesian domestic worker “scolding” her employer in Cantonese has been going viral.
Just that the worker — who is known on YouTube and social media as Contrinx — was not actually reprimanding her employer, but role-playing to bring across the message that employees like her too have feelings and should be respected.
In the video — which is around 13 minutes and has more than 11,000 views as of Tuesday — Contrinx explained she was not “leading other workers astray,” but rather helping them express their wishes to be “treated better, cared for and seen as a part of the [employer’s] family.”
The worker — who spoke eloquently in Cantonese, English and Bahasa Indonesia — said this could be through simple acts, such as giving them enough time to rest and enough food.
“Foreign domestic workers are also human beings, not robots,” she said.
The current COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the poor treatment of domestic workers in Hong Kong.
In a follow-up video, which has more than 33,000 views on YouTube, Contrinx — who said she has worked in Hong Kong for 16 years — shared that she has a good relationship with her current and previous employers, including one who flew from Singapore to visit her in Hong Kong.
She added that her current employer is fine with her filming the videos as she only does so after finishing her work. Contrinx said her employer will let her know if she did not do her job well.
In the first video on her YouTube channel posted a month ago, Contrinx said that employers and employees should “work together” and not “be judgmental” about each other.
She also said in her latest YouTube video that she not only tells employers how to treat workers better, but also shares with workers on how to be a good employee.
Contrinx has more than 3,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 30,000 followers on Facebook.
Her videos have drawn a lot of support from netizens.
One said: “Well said! This is so empowering to all jeh jeh [an affectionate term for foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong]. I am raised by jeh jeh. My family always told me to respect them cus they come take care of me instead of their own children. I really hope that all jeh jeh in Hong Kong can have a good employer. Thank you and bless you🥰”
Another added: “Support!! Thanks for speaking up and domestic helpers are essential for many HK families and the city’s economy. Always respect and grateful!”
