The SUN HK : Ex-Labatt Jolly ‘sad’ that dangerous window-cleaning claimed another FDW's life

18 May 2023

Labatt 'Jolly' amid a mound of FDW contracts while he was labor chief in HK

The former head of the Philippine Labor Department office in Hong Kong said it was regrettable that another Filipina domestic worker had been killed while cleaning windows, despite a six-year ban on the dangerous practice.

Jalilo "Jolly" dela Torre who has retired since being posted as labor attaché to Hong Kong until 2019, is widely credited for having led the fight to exclude dangerous window-cleaning from among the chores foreign domestic workers are legally obliged to do.

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Despite strong opposition from employers’ groups, the Hong Kong Labour Department amended the FDW contracts in January 2017, to include the ban on window-cleaning.

Responding to a request from The SUN for a reaction over the tragic death of Jonalyn Galan last Monday while cleaning windows in her employer’s high rise flat: “My heart goes out to the family of the victim. I’m saddened that the ban we have fought hard to achieve and introduced into the standard employment contract for foreign domestic helpers has been disregarded and has resulted into this tragedy.”

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Dela Torre said he is looking forward to what the Hong Kong government will do in response to the tragedy, and if warranted, to initiate prosecution.

“It’s been years since we’ve had a breach of contract like this resulting into the death of a Filipino domestic worker. The Filipino community led by the Consulate-General and POLO must unite to protect the ban we have worked hard to achieve 6 years ago," he added.

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What spurred dela Torre to push for a prohibition against dangerous window cleaning by FDWs was the death of Filipina Rinalyn Duollog in August 2016, who also fell from a height while cleaning windows in her employer’s flat in Tseung Kwan O.

In a fit of anger, Dela Torre unilaterally imposed an undertaking on all employers hiring Filipino domestic workers that they would not compel them to clean windows in unsafe condition.

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This caused an uproar among employers, but after some negotiations with concerned parties the Hong Kong government decided to include the prohibition in all FDW contracts.