Sri Lanka ranks among the world’s 20 main exporters of labour services, according to a statement by the Migrant Workers Centre (MSC), which protects the rights of migrant workers.
Issuing a statement on the occasion of the International Migrant Day which fell on December 18, the MSC said the private sector operates amidst excessive competition to secure jobs, and in the process some charge exorbitant fees, offer jobs at lower standards of employment and expose migrant workers to unanticipated risks.
Sri Lanka has abroad an estimated stock of nearly two million migrant workers the majority of who are women who leave the country as housemaids. They are not protected by any law while in employment and have no human rights. The distinction between slavery and employment often remains rather thin, the statement said.
The MSC said receiving countries should be required to respect human rights and ensure that they reach bilateral agreements with Sri Lanka to provide protection and welfare to visiting Sri Lankan workers; adopt a reasonable grievance procedure and compensate victims of abuse violence and exploitation. “Hitherto our concerns were mainly reactive, to regulate the process of recruitment and count on earnings from external remittances,” it said. |
E-mail