Discussants of 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.Barisal Correspondent
