Asian urged to boost labor standards

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok

The United Nations has called on governments across Asia to improve their migrant labor policies, particularly as regards the living standards of foreign migrants, in a bid to mitigate the social upheavals that could be caused by their improper treatment.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) told government officials, academics and lawmakers attending a seminar here on Wednesday that the poor treatment of migrant labor could affect bilateral or multilateral relations.

"The topic of the seminar is becoming increasingly important for national development strategies and for bilateral and regional discussions," UNESCAP executive secretary Kim Hak-su said in a written statement read by his deputy, Shigeru Mochida.

The latest major case involved 300 Thai migrant workers working on a mass rapid transit project in Kaoshing, Chinese Taipei, going on a rampage, infuriated by substandard living conditions. Meanwhile, Indonesian migrant workers in some countries have gained a reputation for involvement in crime and dishonoring their contracts.

Kim cited improved transport and communications infrastructure, government policies facilitating labor migration, and the development of government and private sector structures as factors promoting greater migration.

Meanwhile, higher incomes in other countries was the main attraction for people wanting to work overseas.

"The magnitude of international migration in the region is increasing steadily as a result of continued disparities in demographic dynamics and level of development among economies," Kim said.

"Their (migrant workers) remittances to some countries exceed official development assistance or foreign direct investment in those countries," he added.

The economic benefits, however, overshadowed the plight of female migrant workers -- who constituted a high proportion of migrants -- within the region. Female workers were more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse because of the nature of their jobs, concentrated mostly in the domestic help sector.

The seminar, which concludes on Friday, is set to discuss topics such as recent trends in international migration in Asia Pacific, labor migration policies and programs, health issues associated with migration, and the social and economic implications of international migration.

The participants will also discuss gender aspects of migration, the treatment of migrants' children, and trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

An Indonesian lawmaker, Chairun Nisa, told The Jakarta Post here that the seminar was expected to draft recommendations for action that need to be taken.

"This seminar is an important opportunity for manpower officials to discuss the problems of Indonesian migrant workers and forge cooperation with officials from other countries," she said.

Regretting the absence of officials from the manpower ministry, Nisa said that Indonesian manpower officials must do more to protect workers, and it should start by overhauling the recruitment process.