Safety of migrant workers stressed

Discussants at a prgramme in Uzirpur of Barisal on Tuesday stressed
safety and security of the migrant workers through maintaining legal
procedures with transparency and accountability.The commitment of high commissions, skilledness, fitness of workers,
transparency and
accountability of the recruiting agencies and migration of skilled manpower
abroad through a legal channel can help to ensure safe migration of skilled
manpower abroad as well as safe repatriation during crisis period, they opined.
The participants revealed that the vulnerability of migrant workers is
mainly due to a lack of awareness of their rights and unskilledness.
The programme was organised by the safe migration programme of BRAC at
Upazila Parishad in collaboration with Upazila administration,
employment and manpower office .
Sohrab Hossain, Uzirpur Upazila Nirbahi Officer, presided over the
discussion addressed by Abul Kalam Azad Badal, upazila chairman,
Doulatunnessa Nazma, upazila women affairs officer, Dr. Md Shamsuddin, upazila
health officer, AKM Sahabuddin Ahmed, assistant director employment and
manpower Barisal, Golam Morshed Talukdar, principal B N Khan College, Advocate
Amir Hossain, president, Abdul Karim Master, secretary, Zahangir Hossain
Bachchu, Nurrunnahar, volunteers
upazila migration forum, Ripan Chandra Mandal, Zakir Hossain, Hemayetuddin
Khalifa, BRAC officials of Barisal.
Speakers emphasized the unconditional assistance of embassies and
transparency and accountability in the works of recruiting agencies for safe
migration of skilled manpower and safe repatriation of the workers during
crisis period.
They reviewed about migration-related policies and legislation,
pre-departure orientation and research on the contribution of foreign
employment to the national economy.
They also focused on the essentials of migration management,
migration market development, preparation for regional and global events
information dissemination and counseling for safe migration.
The most common forms of abuse include overwork, a monthly income
below the minimum wage, a lack of social security, harassment and
sexual abuse, they said.
They strongly recommends strengthening local capacities to protect
migrant workers, gain medical fitness, skill, reviewing labour
legislation relating to domestic work and launching a large-scale
information campaign on the rights of migrant workers.
They also suggested a comprehensive action plan for the protection of
migrant workers including the revision and application of the legal
framework for migrant workers; the launching of an information
campaign and the training of workers in labour rights.

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