Organizing Migrant Workers Suggested Strategies

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1 Organizing Migrant Workers Suggested Strategies Advocate for universal labour rights abolish distinctions for temporary workers (delinking workers rights from nationality/citizenship/ rural-urban divisions) Working at community level, Self-help groups building leadership among migrants Needs of Migrant workers? Set up Welfare & Service centres health care & workers rights services language & paper work help - help lines TU Education & Rights Awareness Activities

2 ITUC action programme on migrant workers: to encourage TUs in different countries to promote organizing & rights of migrants; Oppose racism & prejudices to which migrant workers are often subjected to. In many countries, TUs have been organizing migrant workers, have help lines, training programmes, info centres to help migrants, legal services to defend & help them with administrative procedures.

3 In OECD countries: British TUC & Portuguese CGTP-IN cooperate to promote membership of Portuguese migrant workers in UK. Similar agreements of CGTP-IN exist with Spanish and Swiss Trade unions. AFL-CIO seeks legalization of all migrant workers & equal rights for migrants. Provides free legal services for immigrant workers, including lawyers.

4 In OECD countries: Force Ouvrière runs a free phone service in France for migrant workers. CFDT organizes seasonal migrant workers in agriculture. In 2002, UGT used complaint mechanism of ILO s FoA Committee to get undocumented migrants in Spain the right to join unions. In 2004, Spanish unions (UGT & CCOO) campaign helped regularise undocumented migrants, brought new rules for protecting migrants rights.

5 In OECD countries: Italian Unions organize & train immigrant unionists, advocate for regularizing irregular migrants & amend discriminatory laws have links with unions in home countries & cooperate with NGOs for protection of migrant workers. Australian & New Zealand Council of TUs promote organizing & rights awareness among migrants thru radio broadcasts, campaign materials - in native languages.

6 Thailand s Labour Law & Migrant Workers Under Thai Constitution, migrants & Thai workers are equal, however - Under Thai Labour Relations Act, non-thai person can only be a member of the union, he/she cannot form a union or be a union committee member/office bearer Only documented/legal migrants have labour rights, irregular/undocumented workers can be imprisoned &/or deported In practice, little or no rights for Burmese migrants

7 Korea: FKTU & KCTU Both unions organizing migrants Seeking abolition of the industrial trainee system with employment permit system Oppose deportation of irregular migrants & advocating for law for protection of all Legal services & phone line for Migrant Workers Connecting migrant workers to their embassies Cooperating with the TUs in the sending countries & NGOs

8 Malaysia: MTUC Organizes, promotes education, skills training, introduction to local unions Seeks to work with embassies & national trade unions of sending countries Seeks review of laws discriminating against migrant workers, inclg for Social Security Assists refugees & undocumented workers who find themselves in an irregular situation Advocates for a regulatory framework based on ILO & UN Conventions for migrants

9 Philippines: TUCP Promotes Organizing, education, skills training, introduction to local unions Seeks to work with embassies & national trade unions of receiving countries Filed representation with ILO against Hong Kong in 2003 following its decision to cut wages of migrant domestic workers discrimination, violation of Art 6 of ILO C. 97 prohibits unequal treatment