Many male domestic helpers in China's capital Beijing are complaining of mistrust and unfair criticism from picky employers, though the city's demand for such workers --particularly as caregivers for elderly men -- is growing.

Ma Lijun, 32, said he "did not hesitate" to accept a job as caregiver for an elderly man in 1998, when he left his hometown in Changping district on the city's outskirts after his divorce, hoping to find a better paid job downtown to support his young daughter and his sick father.

The peasant farmer said he had worked for more than 100 urban families over the past six years and was happy with the pay.

"With free meals and lodging, a male domestic worker can make 500 to 800 yuan (US$60 to 96) a month, much higher than the average wage for housemaids. A 24-hour caregiver for an in-patient in his sickroom earns as much as 60 yuan (US$7.2) a day," he said.

But Ma said he did not feel comfortable when employers requested to detain his ID card and watched him closely. "It's quite understandable for them to be watchful when a stranger is around, but sometimes they're going so far that it hurts me."

In fact, many laid-off workers in Beijing and migrant rural workers from other cities and provinces are waiting to work as domestic helpers in Beijingers' homes, acknowledged Lan Hong, manager of Beijing Gunan Domestic Service Company, an intermediary service that helps local families find domestic helpers.

"We receive male applicants nearly daily," said Lan, "But their zeal is sometimes dampened by their hirers, who think a domestic worker would possibly pose more threat to their family than a housemaid."

While most people prefer housemaids for their adept housekeeping skills and attention to details and are more reliable, others need men who are stronger for physical work, said Li Dajing, vice president of Beijing Municipal Home Economics Association.

Li went on to say that his organization had been requested by several clients to bring more men to the city's domestic helpers' team.

"Intermediary services should probe into the candidates' background to ensure every domestic service worker they recruit is trustworthy," he said.

He estimated that some 223,000 households in Beijing would need to hire full-time domestic helpers, and another 225,000 would employ part-time domestic service workers this year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2004)