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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Countries that send their labour
force to the Gulf region should develop a mechanism
to voice their concerns as a united front in order
to protect the interests of the migrant workers,
recommends an international conference on
``networking for promoting the rights of the migrant
workers in Gulf countries.’’
The conference, jointly organized here recently by
the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and the
American Centre for International Labour Solidarity
(Solidarity Centre), suggested that the existing
forums such as the SAARC might also be used as a
common platform to take up the problems being faced
by the migrant workers.
According to Javita Narang, Solidarity New Delhi,
and S. Irudaya Ranjan of CDS, the conference
stressed on the importance of ensuring a minimum
standard wage for the South Asian Labourers working
in the Gulf region. The conference recommended that
a feasible mechanism had to be developed to ensure
such a wage structure for the migrant workers in
accordance with their national standards.
The conference was part of the series of such
initiatives organized by the Solidarity Center in
the background of the extensive report of
exploitation and harassment of migrant workers from
South Asia, particularly from India, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka, in the Gulf countries. Delegates from
Pakistan, Bahrain, the US and UAE attended the
two-day conference.
Staff Reporter (The
Hindu: Monday, January 7, 2008)
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Guest workers in a
dormitory building, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Organizational Information:
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The American Centre for International Labour
Solidarity
(The
Solidarity Center)
The Solidarity Center supports hundreds of programs
throughout the world. In Asia, the Solidarity Center
is helping workers build strong unions to defend
their basic rights, escape a life of forced labor,
and hold governments accountable for their economic
security.
In the Middle East and North Africa, the Solidarity
Center is helping workers defend their basic rights
and build strong, democratic, independent, and
inclusive trade unions to meet the challenges of
globalization and economic restructuring.
The Centre for Development Studies (CDS)
The CDS is an autonomous research institute. Its
main objective is to promote research, teaching and
training in disciplines relevant to development.
Established in 1971 by the noted economist Professor
K.N.Raj, it is considered to be one of the foremost
development economics research centers in India.
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