Back in the boom days of 1998, a book titled “Yes madam, sorry madam” chronicled the relationship between Asian domestic workers and their Cypriot employers.
This was around the time these women first began arriving, when a populous middle class deemed it essential to have a live-in helper available round the clock.
They were needed for children, dogs, gardens, sweeping the pavement each morning, washing the car every Saturday, pushing loaded trolleys at the supermarket – but above all, as a status symbol.
Nearchos Ioannou captured this phenomenon brilliantly in his book, beginning with the moment a timid, frightened Asian woman would arrive at the airport.
In the years since, the golden age has long passed. The middle class has disintegrated, yet the need for elderly care persists as the state never managed to establish adequate care facilities.
But the Asian workers are no longer the submissive helpers of “Yes madam, sorry madam” fame. These days, they might easily pack their bags one evening and slip out the back door without a second thought for the elderly person they’re leaving behind.
No explanation, no notice, not even a goodbye. Perhaps they’ve heard of better wages in Italy, Portugal or Malta, or that working as a freelancer pays more.
According to published figures, three thousand domestic workers have abandoned their positions in recent years. And we’re left wondering what went wrong – or as the saying goes, why the chickens aren’t laying.
The monthly salary, depending on country of origin, ranges from €315 to €420, plus social insurance contributions they’ll never benefit from.
According to the contract, employers can deduct up to 25% for room and board if the worker lives in. That leaves just €237 from the €315. Many claim they don’t make these deductions, but the contract permits it. So again – what’s gone wrong?
Both we and the state have grown quite comfortable relying on these Asian women’s services. With care homes charging upwards of €1,500 monthly, we’ve found quite the bargain at €300-500. That is, until one morning you discover your helper has done a moonlight flit.