Trade unions urged to protect migrant workers
(VOV) -ILO in Vietnam has called on Vietnamese trade unions to take a more active role in protecting migrant workers overseas given the volume is expected to increase over coming years.
The comment was made in a two-day workshop on “The role of trade unions in protecting migrant workers” that concluded in Thanh Hoa Province on February 27.
The event was organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL). According to the VGCL’s Legal Department, most Vietnamese migrant workers in other countries are not protected by trade unions due to the lack of policies and resources.
The organisation admitted that this is a problem Vietnamese trade unions need to address in the near future. Trade unions could take a big role in helping overseas migrant workers overcome major challenges before, during and after their stay in a foreign country.
“Vietnamese workers overseas still pay higher costs for migration and the actual jobs are not the same as what they were told before departure”, said ILO Asia Pacific senior specialist on workers activities Pong-Sul Ahn.
“Trade unions could help migrant workers find recruitment agencies that offer good jobs with low fees. Even though protecting migrant workers is a challenge for trade unions due to their limited financial capacity, inadequate human resources and being excluded from agreements signed between governments, it is still achievable,” said Pong-Sul Ahn.
“The law should be revised to include the role of trade unions in protecting migrant workers. Cooperation between Vietnamese trade unions and the trade unions in the destination country should be promoted,” he added.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), about 800,000 Vietnamese workers are sent abroad every year, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of job creation. Nearly 500,000 workers are working abroad under contract, spread across more than 40 countries. Vietnam plans to increase labour exports in the 2013-15 period, targeting an extra 100,000 workers being sent abroad a year.
Labour migration is an attractive strategy for many poor Vietnamese families and individuals to improve their income, with migrant workers sending home about US$1.8 - 2 billion a year. Returning migrants also contribute to the country’s socio-economic development by bringing back enhanced skills, knowledge, experience and cultural and social awareness.