Labour Migration

Arab and Asian trade unions discuss migrant worker rights

Trade unions, rights groups and migrant worker representatives meet in Kathmandu to enhance cooperation on Asian migration to the Arab states.

As part of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda and efforts to promote the interests of migrant workers from South Asia in the Arab States, the ILO will hold a joint workshop and strategy meeting with the newly-established South Asian Regional Trade Union Council to discuss ways to enhance South Asian migrant worker rights in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, and Lebanon. The workshop will bring together members of trade unions and representatives from migrant workers communities in Bahrain, Jordan, Oman and Lebanon. The event will also be attended by members of the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar and national trade unions from five countries in South Asia (Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan).

The strategy meeting and workshop aim to articulate methods to achieve the effective protection of migrant workers as well as their right to a voice and representation consistent with the articles of the ILO convention on Migration for Employment Convention, 1949 (No. 97), the Migrant Workers Convention, 1975 (No. 143), and the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189). Accordingly, the meeting will cover the respective roles of trade unions in countries of migrant worker origin and destination in advancing the ILO’s agenda. In addition, the event will seek to identify the ways in which the ILO can support future cooperation efforts between the origin and destination countries of migrant workers in the Arab States.