29 October, 2008As the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development (GMFD) meets in Manila this week, trade unions representatives speak out for migrant workers.
PHILIPPINES: "The search for a solution to the global financial crisis must ensure people's mobility, not restrict it," said Sharon Burrow, International Trade Union Confederation president and conference chairperson of the civil society days of the Forum, at the opening of the conference on October 27 in Manila.
The ILO estimates that the present financial crisis is likely to lead the loss of some 20 million jobs world wide. The ILO added that "the number of working poor living on less than a dollar a day could rise by some 40 million - and those at two dollars a day by more than 100 million". Others say this is an underestimation.
Burrow cautioned world leaders grappling to find solutions to the global financial crisis against restricting labour migration, a move adopted by governments during the Asian 1997 crisis.
Two days prior to the Forum, representatives from ITUC and the global union federations, including the International Metalworkers' Federation, met in Manila to exchange information on experiences, policy options and best practice in the field of migration and to prepare the trade union participation in the civil society days of the Forum.
Speaking on organising migrant workers during the Global Union meeting, Suharshan Rao, IMF South Asia regional representative, spoke about IMF's experience in organising inter-state migrant workers in the shipbreaking yards in Mumbai, India.
"These migrant workers were organized in the existing union Mumbai, Port Trust, Dock and General Employees' Union (MPTDGEU) by amending the constitution and reducing the rates of subscription. Non-economic demands like civic amenities, Occupational, Health and Safety (OHS) and social problems were taken up. A Mohalla Committee (Neighbourhood Committee) was set up to integrate these migrant workers bridging the language and cultural gaps. NGO's were involved and collaboration with them really helped in organizing the workers," explained Rao.
"This effort has since spread to Alang, which is the largest shipbreaking yard in the state of Gujarat, where the workers registered the first ever union of shipbreaking workers in India. Today the union membership stands at 5,705," he said.
A copy of Rao's paper on migration in India is published in English on the IMF website.
Sharon Burrow's full speech to the Forum is available at the following link: http://www.ituc-csi.org/spip.php?article2486