Three women from the Philippines who worked for the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates have been awarded €80,000 each by an Employment Appeals Tribunal.
The women - Myra Calderon, Laylanie Laporga and Jennifer Villaranda - were domestic workers at the embassy on Pembroke Road in Dublin.
They told the tribunal they worked 15 hour days, seven days a week for less than €2 an hour.
They said they were always on call, had their passports taken away and never had a day off.
The Migrant Rights Centre, which has been working with the three women, has welcomed the judgement.
It is urging the Department of Foreign Affairs to ensure that Ambassador Khalid Nasser Rashed Lootah pays the €240,000 award to the women.
After the ruling, Ms Villaranda said, "I am delighted with this outcome. The chairperson of the tribunal was appalled by the level of exploitation we suffered."
Claire McQuillan, solicitor for the three women, added "We welcome the judgment and will study it closely when we receive the written decision. This is welcome progress in the law in this area."
