Overseas workers are among the worst victims of labour abuse in most countries that depend on migrants to complement their workforce.
A report in this issue (see Homelink) quotes the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Trust as saying that manipulation of migrant workers is not only immoral but also illegal.
The Trust was aware of other allegations about migrant workers who were disadvantaged by their unscrupulous employers.
“This is not acceptable and all businesses should respect all employees, regardless of their immigration status. Such exploitation could be more widespread, since many migrants are scared they may lose their visa, and do not know their rights,” Trust General Manager Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie said.
The rising number of ‘horror stories’ of migrant workers who arrive here on work permits make heart-rending reading.
Some of them are subject to harassment, exploitation and even extortion, unacceptable in New Zealand, which has an impressive record of human rights.
The fact that many migrant workers subsist under the mercy of their employers is a matter of shame; it is a situation that cannot and should not be condoned.
Take the case of Indians from India. Hundreds of thousands of them leave home to work abroad as maids, nurses, sailors and in all sorts of other difficult but low-paid jobs. Labour migration is huge, and growing in South-East Asia, as workers are sucked out of their poor countries, increasingly to their better-off neighbours, even though these are still themselves sending workers to the rich world.
Many of them come to New Zealand on work permits or work visas.
They do so for two reasons: they would like to pursue their dream of working in a western country; and hope to save some money either to return home for a better morrow or quality for permanent residence and eventually citizenship.
Their dreams are thwarted by unscrupulous employers who hold them to ransom.
Poverty and unemployment are still high in India and that country’s economy has hugely benefited by remittances from Non-Resident Indians working overseas, especially the Arab Gulf.
Many agree that something must be done to address the problem of exploitation of migrant workers and bring the offenders to justice.
The Overseas Indian Affairs ministry in New Delhi is keen to identify the perpetrators and persuade the respective governments to take punitive action.
It should come as no surprise to the Overseas Indian Affairs Minister that most of the offenders would be Indian origin.
Member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries have signed an agreement that talks of guaranteeing foreign workers access to justice and welfare services though, like other ASEAN documents, it is full of get-out clauses.
But it does not oblige governments to draw up a charter of migrant workers’ rights which might have some teeth.
The Indian government is already seeking to improve its own migrants’ rights: it bans recruitment agencies from charging fees to workers (as opposed to employers) and is raising the minimum wages that such agencies offer.
Tackling the problem before it gets out of control clearly makes sense.
Locals in the receiving countries already seem to be worried about competition for their jobs. Already in New Zealand, several jobs in the retail, banking and hospitality sectors are now being occupied by Asian migrants, notably, Indian.
But our argument is not towards these organised employers and corporates.
We call on the New Zealand government to take stern action against those who show little respect for the law and worse, for human rights.
Willingness to put in hard and long hours of work, accept lower salaries and most important of all, to suffer in silence, are among the factors that make migrant workers vulnerable to the onslaughts of unscrupulous workers.
It is time for collective action by the government, community leaders, social welfare organisations and the media to bring such people to justice.
Mere promises would not do.
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