Finally, the international workshop to protect the rights of migrant workers was held in Bahrain.
I say finally because this workshop was not allowed to take place in all Gulf countries, until General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions (GFBTU) decided to partner with the International Federation of Free Unions, the International Federation for Arab Workers Unions and the International Labor Organization, in hosting the workshop at Bahrain.
But why was it banned to be hold in other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) country? The GDN quoting the International Labor Organization (ILO), told us that None of the Gulf countries is party to any ILO treaty or convention. Maybe this is the reason. But I think that Bahrain was brave enough to face the problem and try to find a solution rather than escaping and taking Head-In-Sand Approach, like other GCC countries, and that is worrying.
Even more worrying is to know that there is more than 13 million migrant workers are working in the Gulf region, and it seems that Gulf countries other than Bahrain are trying to avoid listening to any minor or major efforts to protect the migrant workers rights.
Do you know that 90% of the labor market is occupied by foreigners in the Gulf? It even reached 65-70% of the total population in some of the GCC countries. According to international standards, not more than 10-12% should the foreign labor force for any healthy labor market.
Fear were clear in the paper presented by Bahrain University lecturer Dr Jassim Hussain recommending the GCC governments who proposed to implement a six-year limitation for migrant workers. The debated was whether the proposed policy was essential.
Dr Hussain said that foreign workers were overrepresented in the region and they are "partly responsible for pushing wages down and undermining social welfare". He argued that foreign workers were partly responsible for rising unemployment among locals and caused heavy subsidy costs on a wide-range of services and that remittances were harmful to local economies.
ILO replied by saying that Bahrain has the right to establish a limited contract period for migrant workers, but added that equal conditions must be created first. So, be fair guys!
Now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights vice-president Nabeel Rajab said the proposal was based on a 'negative" study. He said none of the studies conducted in Bahrain over the last 30 years on migrant workers had ever focused on their positive impact on the country. same applies for all other GCC countries. Mr Rajab said the studies added to a degrading outlook on migrant workers. "None focus on the human rights of the migrant workers, or the violations committed against them," he said.
Anyway, the workshop is suppose to established basic principles for the treatment of migrant workers and their families, and provided international standards to protect their rights. Hope we see more constructive and positive plans and actions in the coming three days, the time the workshop ends.
Read more:
Domestic Workers: Little Protection for the Underpaid
Exploitation and Abuse of Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia
RIGHTS AT WORK - ILO
