Belgian Policy Supporting Domestic Work. Who Get Benefits? Migrant Domestic Workers, Outsourcing Companies, Belgian and International Household in Brussels

This paper has a twofold goal. The first one is to analyse the public aid for domestic work implemented in Belgium called “les titres services” (cheque services). We will analyse the public arguments supporting the starting of this public aid to domestic work (regularisation of an informal sector, given a financial incentive to the middle and upper classes for giving up the use of irregular workers, allow an opportunity of job to low-skilled unemployed women, etc.), the creation of a new regulated sector of economic activities composed by private companies and the public support to Belgian and international household from upper classes. The second goal is to offer an analysis of careers of domestic workers in Brussels using this specific policy. We will analyse how in Brussels this sector is organized as an ethnic niche, more than 50% of the workers are foreigners, and how operate “the musical chair” among the foreigners. We will try to demonstrate how Latin-American workers mainly from Brazil and Ecuador replaced Polish workers who were in the sector in early 2000 and become now owner of cleaning companies.