From Asia to the Middle East, the Covid-19 pandemic is exposing the unique vulnerabilities of the world’s estimated 164 million low-paid migrant workers, who toil at the jobs locals do not want, to save money and get a leg up back home. While some appear to have escaped the same sort of outbreak Singapore is dealing with, activists say good examples of how to manage this segment of their population are few and far between.
Mr David Welsh, country director of the South-east Asia branch of the Solidarity Centre, a non-profit organisation aligned with the United States-based labour federation AFL-CIO, said the crisis has exposed the poor conditions many migrant workers face. “Migrant workers have been left aside by governments who have relied on them to do dangerous jobs that have become even more dangerous during this crisis,” Mr Welsh said.
Then, there is Qatar, where observers say criticism of the country’s treatment of migrant labour in the wake of its successful bid to host the Fifa World Cup in 2022 has sparked changes that are a lesson to others but also a demonstration of how difficult the process is going to be. Qatar’s ambition to host the World Cup has helped prompt the changes. Shortly after securing the event a decade ago, Qatar publicly promised four weeks’ paid leave, overtime and other benefits to workers employed by the contractors awarded work.
Contractors erecting more than half a dozen stadiums and other needed infrastructure offer workers attractive terms that meet the scrutiny of activists and unions.
Mr Apolinar Tolentino, regional representative for the Building and Wood Workers’ International Asia-Pacific, said his union has had regular access to inspect work sites and dormitories where workers are housed four to an air-conditioned room and bunk beds are banned.
Last month, Amnesty International and a coalition of non-governmental organisations and trade unions sent letters to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, raising concerns about migrant workers.
Amnesty International’s Middle East research director Lynn Maalouf said: “While some governments made promising commitments to support migrant workers, much more needs to be done to ensure Covid-19 will not result in further human rights violations and greater suffering for migrant workers in these countries.”
Source: Straits Times
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