Sri Lanka Migrant workers in Qatar and Middle East will be given special protection, says Labour and Trade Union minister , calls ITUC as hinderance

Sri Lanka Migrant workers in Qatar and Middle East will be given special protection, says Labour and Trade Union minister , calls ITUC as hinderance 

Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations W.D.J. Seneviratne (left) with international corporate attorney Das Gupta, a specialist operating in the Middle East

Special attention will be given to Sri Lankan migrant workers employed in Qatar and the Middle East when it comes to the reconstruction of labour laws and regulations, according to the Minister of Labour and Trade Union Relations W.D.J. Seneviratne.

The Minister has further stated that every step will be taken to ensure a better working environment for local migrant workers employed in the Middle Eastern region, through mutual understanding and negotiations with international trade organisations, which would be taken by his ministry.   These sentiments were expressed by the Minister at a meeting held at the Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, with international corporate attorney Das Gupta, a specialist operating in the Middle East.

Gupta has said that a large number of Sri Lankans live and work in the gulf and Qatar remained a central location for them. Therefore, he said that it would be encouraging to see the changes Qatar was already making to their labour policies which he feels will be of great benefit not only to Lankan workers who are currently working in that country but also for those who would be looking at future job opportunities. 

Gupta has further stated that it was of utmost importance for international trade unions, such as the ITUC, to act in a responsible manner and refrain from action that would serve to hinder and discourage Lankan workers employed or seeking employment in Qatar.

The Minister, expressing his regret at the event over such a situation, said that if there was any such action by the ITUC or other international trade unions that would prove to become an obstacle for Sri Lankan workers in getting attractive job opportunities in Qatar, he would bring it to the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Foreign Employment Bureau in order to take immediate corrective measures. 

The Minister, who commended the role migrant workers play in bringing foreign exchange to the country, said that his Ministry would pay special attention in the future towards reconstruction of labour regulations for this particular sector. 

He further reiterated that the Ministry would directly engage with international trade unions to deal with issues facing employees in Qatar and the gulf, with a view to providing viable solutions to their problems.  He promised to create the necessary backdrop to work with these unions with proper understanding to ensure the wellbeing of Lankan migrants living and working in the Middle East.

The practices of ITUC criticized again

The zeal of the CSI-ITUC to expose the exploitation of workers in Qatar has made it worth to become the target of strong criticism itself.

Accustomed to denounce the abuses committed everywhere in the world at the expense of workers, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has this time came under the fire of criticism. Since several months, the trade union organization backed on to the International Labour Organization (ILO) is increasingly contested. Mandated to assist unions and orchestrate awareness campaigns worldwide for respect for worker’s rights, the ITUC has built strong hostility from some governments.

Recently, the vice president of the ITUC-CSI, G. Sanjeeva Reddy, also a former minister, criticized the methods and practices within the trade union confederation. G. Sanjeeva Reddy was surprised financial resources deployed by the ITUC-CSI to put his country in the dock and sabotage at the same time a negotiation process at the national level between the government and unions. A protest accompanied by accusations against companies and agents paid by the ITUC to conduct its communication campaigns.

Charges with a little more information came across internet in recent weeks, but anonymously. Main targets being Australian Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary and his closest collaborators, who orchestrated media campaigns that were extremely effective but also extreme costly. Attention is particularly drawn to the case of an employee who was also paid in respect of his company for telling lie against his working conditions, concerning communication in the media and on social networks.

One of the last campaigns of the ITUC-CSI was against Qatar and FIFA. The trade union confederation has produced a damning report in which it denounced the situation of workers employed on the site of the World Cup 2022 Football. For Sharan Burrow, this workforce is "tantamount to modern slavery”. The campaigns of the ITUC-CSI for Qatar result from a choice clearly expressed by the ILO policy office has found it necessary to make a focus on the situation of workers in this country. However, voices continue to rise behind the scenes to be surprised by the difference in treatment between Qatar and other Gulf monarchies.

Why did not she ITUC expressed the same zeal to denounce the treatment of workers in Saudi Arabia? Can we know? These repeated attacks are not surprising Burrow. "We are the target for several months of a disinformation campaign based on dissemination of false documents. This is intended to divert attention from the situation of workers in Qatar, "said the general secretary of the ITUC.

Source: Tribune deGeneve (TDG), Switzerland   

http://www.tdg.ch/news/standard/pratiques-union-syndicats-denoncees/story/17111553