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?
Taking a lead in efforts to protect the rights of migrant workers in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), the government there has decided to amend its labour laws
and provide smart cards to Indian workers which will contain all their details.
<p>UAE has also agreed to set up a Joint Working Group to deal with problems relating
to overseas Indian workers and to address their grievances.</p>
<p>"MoU on Labour and Employment is proposed to be negotiated and concluded
with major labour receiving countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait,
Oman, Bahrain and Qatar in the Gulf and Malaysia in South-East Asia," Union
Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told PTI here.</p>
<p>The Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) also proposes to create an
Overseas Indian Welfare Fund, which will be deployed for various welfare measures
for the benefit of the overseas Indian workers.</p>
<p>Ravi, who recently undertook a visit to Gulf countries in the wake of complaints
of ill-treatment by Indian workers, said several reforms in emigration of workers
needed to be taken immediately to address their problems.</p>
<p>Lakhs of Indians go to Gulf countries every year for work, with last year only
accounting for about 10 lakh. Many of them face exploitation and abuse. Many
are not paid salaries as promised or are not paid at all for months together.</p>
<p>Over the last three months, there have been incidents of Indian workers resorting
to strikes and sometimes allegedly violent means of protest against ill-treatment
by their employers in the Gulf. Two such incidents occurred in Dubai in quick
succession.</p>
<p>The MOIA has detected complaints regarding even denial of food, water and power
supply, particularly in Saudi Arabia. There have also been cases of some Indian
women, working as housemaids in Gulf countries, being forced into prostitution
there.</p>
<p>To regulate the emigration of workers and check the practice of illegal recruitment,
government has decided to amend the 1983 Emigration Act to make punishment for
unauthorised recruitment harsher by raising the minimum imprisonment to five
years from the present six months.</p>
<p>The amount of fine will also be increased manifold from present Rs 1,000 to
Rs 25,000.</p>
<p>By amending the Act, the ministry intends to make recruiting agents answerable
and ensure proper screening of employment of each worker, Ravi said.</p>
<p>The aim is to make recruiting agents responsible for every recruitment and
well-being of each person sent abroad for work. — BERNAMA
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