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Yes the recording will be available on the gfmd website :)

@barrister- filing power of attorney by returnee workers from origin country are very expensive- alomost it requires 100 USD, and it requires destiantion country foriugn ministries endrsement also@

- practiaclly impossible

@rafeek...this is for Embassy to represent the worker?

yes, a worker retruned from destination country requires this much amount ( 100 USD) to draft a power of attorney to give conscent for embassy to represnt his case in court

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Wage is mainly a destination country problem. If the destination country isn't determined to stamp it out e.g. through better laws, wage insurance, more effective court processes, there is little that origin countries can do.

Beside legal case in past we also try to solve those kind of cases through diplomatic initiative. if there is political will , some cases can be solved through negotiation by embassy/labour attaché with concerned company . But embassy is not willing to cooperate on the issues in some case specially related to COVID.

Therefore, instead of trying to help individual workers, countries of origin should put more emphasis on inter-state engagement to push destination countries to be more determined. E.g. threaten a boycott of sending more workers. But of course, many countries of origin can't do that because of high birth rate and high unemployment.

@Alex true. The wage theft happens in destination country

@Sumitha in this particular NSH case, there has been no response even after 3 months from the Embassy regarding PoA filing.

Thanks for all presentations-a Question to Laura-From the IOM study undertaken-was there some degree or percentage of child labour within the community studied? Any key recommendations made to address this challenge ? Sinikiwe Sithole IOM.

Lara can you share finding on which destination countries have more cases in case of Bangladesh?

https://displacement.iom.int/system/tdf/reports/BGD_Returnee_edited2.pdf?file=1&type=node&id=9220

thank you Lara sharing link

Thank you very much for MFA and to our excellent presenters for a very engaging side event. Apologies for having to leave early. Very best, Mantalin (ICMC)

Our latest reports from Bangladesh, Indonesia and Philippines will be made publicly available once they are finalized in the coming months.

Thanks for sharing IOM rapid study. Regards. Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan, freelance journalist, Bangladesh

Mahalo Ellene x

The ILO is doing a number of rapid assessment on impact of COVID 19 on migrant workers. In Asia Pacific, ILO did a survey similarly to IOM reported ôn unpaid of wages. The report has some intersting findings on returning migrant workers. http://apmigration.ilo.org/resources/experiences-of-asean-migrant-workers-during-covid-19-rights-at-work-migration-and-quarantine-during-the-pandemic-and-re-migration-plans/

Building off Alex’s comments above, how can destination countries be incentivized to implement real reform to combat wage theft? Looking at the Gulf states, where there are some decent laws but very poor implementation, little deterrence for employers to comply with the law, and where the state itself is often the client, what is a realistic way forward?

Question to Laura IOM- Thanks for the study IOM has undertaken as presented. Can u clarify if you could have recorded any percentage of child labour from population studied and any recommendations to redress this challenge? Sinikiwe Sithole, IOM

Some ideas: Firstly, a boycott by countries of origin. But this needs origin countries to act together so that one does not undercut another. In any case, origin countries' interests are aligned in that wage theft tends to happened across multiple nationalities of migrant workers. Secondly, origin countries can apply leverage through the developed countries which are often the export markets of migrant-destination countries. It is in developed countries' interest not to allow mid-income destination countries to unethically lower their production costs -- level playing field, etc -- so this means that developed countries (though their FTAs for example) can help origin countries attain the goal of incentivising / arm-twisting migrant-destination countries to clamp down on wage theft.

ILO has prepared a brief note explaining relevance of Convention No. 95 to migrant workers, with some examples from the ILO supervisory bodies with regard to obligation to ensure that outstanding wages due are being paid upon return. We will share afterwards as I have difficults inserting the document. Thanks.

The effect of USA's customs ban on import of rubber gloves from Malaysia had a salutary effect on recruitment costs for the glove-makers' workers Good example there.

@ssithole - the studies did not examine the issue of child labour. All respondents were adult women and men migrants (both internal and international)

How can we get commitment from the RCPs like the ADD?

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Great contribuions on this complicated issue.

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The claim of OPA speaker is very Lennin-like vanguardism

meaning?

No interpreter?

Only the Missions or Commissions can do the claims.

The translation should be working now, apologies for the delay

Let's be realistic. Embassies don't have the resources to help pursue private wage claims, at least not in any significant volume. They may be able to help in a few strategic cases, but they are unlikely to have the bandwidth to do more than a few at a time. Govts are better expending their resources on applying govt-to-govt pressure and structural issues rather than getting involved in private disputes.

@Alex Au, completely agree with you.

is there anyway to ensure a continued cooperation between origin countries to cooperate on these issues given the pressurefrom destination countries?

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welcome

1.Bilateral agreement should implement literally in destination .2. There should be complaint mechanism in destination country regarding nonpayment complaint and should provide prompt remedy according to evidence .

Similarly, perpetrators of wage theft must be put into account and justice.

I think strengthening diplomatic missions will be important to deal the large number of cases side by side there should be lobby from country of origin to country of destination for legal remedies. Collective bargaining from country of origins will be important

@Roni, absolutely right. Yet, we keep the whole-of-society; whole-of-government framework. No monopoly or messianic mentality that only one entity can solve wage theft problem

I strongly agree with Dong that action should be taken against the perpetuators to address the issue

Pity we didn't have time to address the possibilities of supply chain policing to eliminate (or at least minimise) wage theft.

@Alex Au. If there were more time I'd have liked to ask more about the boycott idea: a) there's a history of its efficacy (e.g. Apartheid) but how to do so in a way that wouldn't penalise the migrant workers, e.g. a fund to compensate them? b) what other leverage alongside boycott so that destination countries don't call the origin countries' bluff?

agree with @Alex Au - MNEs should be encouraged to include non-payment of wages in their supplier codes of conduct (if not already). This could be included in social audit protocols.

thank you all! thanks William, mfa and organizers

ILO Exploratory study of good policies in the protection of construction workers in the Middle East:

Thanks to all! Be safe

https://www.ilo.org/beirut/publications/WCMS_618158/lang--en/index.htm

Thanks MFA for organizing this important event. This has been great session.

thank you, keep safe, everyone!

great challenge Alex!

thanks mfa

Thank you everyone!

thank you to all organizers! great session always

Stay safe and healthy everyone! Thanks to MFA and organizers.

un grand merci à tous les intervenants

I totally agree with Alex. We need to go beyond conventions into actions which will really bring change in the lives of migrant workers nationally and internationally.

It is a great session. Many thanks to MFA for hosting this

Thank you MFA

Thanks for brilliant moderation and contributions. Feeling inspired!

Merci a tous. Ciao.

Thanks William and thanks to the speakers

ALSO denoting the Workers who deceased during this time, and the associated complexities there...TANKIU William & MFA & Hosts! Safety Security & Solidarity to All