Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
This realization has spurred UNI
Apro to undertake activities related to migrant workers. One of its significant
initiatives is the cross-border union cooperation between the UNI Malaysian Liaison Council and the ASPEK-Indonesia for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. Under the agreement, UNI-MLC has set up help desks for Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia and has since expanded their services to assist migrant workers from other Asian countries.
<P>In addition, the UNI Apro actively involved
itself with migrant worker issues by forging cooperation with NGOs working with
migrant workers and by joining other civil society organizations in engaging the
ASEAN to promote the human and labor rights of migrant workers in ASEAN.</P><P>The
UNI Apro is a member of the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers which is comprised
of trade unions, human rights and migrant rights NGOs, and migrant workers associations.
The Task Force seeks to develop a rights-based framework for the protection and
promotion of the rights of migrant workers in line with ASEAN’s Vientianne
Action Plan.</P><P>UNI Apro is please to be able to join SEARCH Canada in supporting
the ASETUC and the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers to convene a NGO-Trade
Union Consultation Workshop on the 28 March 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to
review the ASEAN Framework for the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers.
More than forty (40) delegates from twenty-four (24) NGOs and trade unions from
eight ASEAN countries (Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,
Thailand, and Vietnam) attended the consultation-workshop along with representatives
from the Task Force, ASETUC, UNI Apro, ILO Jakarta Office, SEARCH (Canada), UNCHR
Malaysia Office, and the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia.</P><P>The Consultation-Workshop
discussed two major concerns: the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection of the Rights
of Migrant Workers and the Framework for Cooperation between ASEAN NGOs/TUs in
the Quest for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.</P><P>The
first session on the ASEAN Declaration was moderated by the Philippine Labour
Attaché in Malaysia, Mr. Josephus Jimenez. Ms. Lotte Kejser, CTA for the
ILO Migrant Workers Project in Southeast Asia briefed the participants on global
and Asian labor migration trends and the migrant workers’ vulnerability to
exploitation. She presented relevant international instruments pertaining to migrant
workers including key ILO Conventions and Human Rights Conventions.</P><P>Mr.
Sinapan Samydorai, Convenor of the Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers, briefed
the participants on the ASEAN Declaration for the Protection of the Rights of
Migrant Workers. This Declaration, though non-binding, is considered an important
first step in promoting the human and labour rights of migrant workers. He also
briefed the participants regarding the draft ASEAN Framework for the Protection
of the Rights of Migrant Workers. The Migrant Forum Asia and Sis. Lilis Tati Yuningsih,
President of the Women’s Committee of ASPEK-Indonesia also presented their
current efforts for migrant workers.</P><P>The second session on the Framework
for Cooperation between ASEAN NGOs and TUs was moderated by Bro. Christopher Ng,
UNI Apro Regional Secretary. He stated that the UNI Apro is fully committed to
collaborate with NGOs on the issue of migrant workers’ rights and welfare.
He noted that NGOs and TUs complement each other: NGOs have experience and expertise
while the trade unions have stronger and far-reaching organization.</P><P>ILO’s
Lotte Kejser emphasized the need to have a monitoring mechanism that will assess
the impact of the ASEAN Declaration. Bro. Jose Umali, Jr. of the UNI-PLC Philippines
reported important breakthroughs in the TU/CSO engagement with the ASEAN Eminent
Persons Group and the Task Force on the ASEAN Charter which might lead to the
inclusion of a clause on labour rights in the ASEAN Charter. Mr. Noel Esquela
of the CMA pointed out that unions and NGOs sometimes speak different languages
that must be bridged with continuous dialogue. Ms. Carla June Natan of the CIMW
said that part of their advocacy is to encourage migrant workers to join unions.
Bro. Mohd Shaffie BP Mammal, President of UNI MLC Malaysia and Secretary General
of ASETUC briefed the participants on the UNI MLC Help Desk Project for Migrant
Workers.</P><P>The Consultation-Workshop deliberated on, and adopted the Statement
attached. The Statement underscored the commitment of the NGOs and unions to promote
the rights and ensure the just and fair treatment of migrant workers and their
families through close and wholehearted collaboration.</P><P>“By joining
hands today in what we expect will be a historic effort to support the rights
and aspirations of migrant workers throughout ASEAN, we state clearly that the
status quo of exploited, abused, isolated, and forgotten migrant workers, toiling
long hours with little hope of earning a fair wage while all the time facing dangerous
conditions of work, is not acceptable. There must be a new deal for migrant workers
in ASEAN, regardless of their origin or current documented status, which sets
out in a binding framework the principle that migrant workers shall be guaranteed
national treatment in their conditions of work and life outside of work.”</P><P><I>Source:
http://www.union-network.org/uniapron.nsf/1/A9D48C8866D0B41BC12572B200254FE8?OpenDocument</I>
Address: Wisma MTUC,10-5, Jalan USJ 9/5T, 47620 Subang Jaya,Selangor | Tel: 03-80242953 | Fax: 03-80243225 | Email: sgmtuc@gmail.com.com