Worker co-op sheds light on Britain’s legal slaves

A Leeds worker co-op is raising awareness of domestic slavery, and it needs financial help. Leeds Animation Workshop (LAW) is making a new film entitled ‘They Call Us Maids: The Domestic Workers’ Story’.

The worker co-op has been collaborating with Justice 4 Domestic Workers, an organisation of women from very poor backgrounds, usually in the Philippines, Indonesia, South Asia or Africa, who have to work abroad in order to support their families.

“There they are often exploited, abused or treated as slaves,” explains Terry Wragg of LAW. “Sometimes their employers visit this country and bring the household’s domestic workers along too, which gives them an opportunity to escape.

“These women need fair working conditions, and the right to leave a bad employer and find a better job. They asked us to make a short animated film that will raise awareness of their situation and help their campaign to end modern-day slavery.”

Arts organisation Pavilion raised a small amount of funding and commissioned LAW to make the film. “Even though we had only just enough to begin the project, the need was urgent and we began animating, in the hope of raising enough to complete the work as we went along,” Terry says.

“Now we’ve almost finished the film but we still need to fund the last part of the project and get the message out there. We’re asking for help. We’ve never done this before, but it’s a special case.”

LAW is offering the chance to buy a copy of the film and help fund it at the same time. It has registered with localgiving.com, which is doubling donations up to £10 until 18 November. This means LAW gets an extra £10 for donations of £10 or more.

“Even if you donate just £1, this week they will make it up to £2, and it all makes a difference,” Terry says. “If you’d like a copy of the film when it is completed, then simply donate £10 through our localgiving page and then drop us a line, stating whether you would prefer to receive it as a DVD or streamed online. Don’t forget to include the address to which it should be sent.”

Get in touch with LAW at [email protected]