3rd Regional Conference - MIGRANT WORKERS

In this resolution, the 3rd ITUC Asia Pacific Conference recognises that international migration has increased drastically during the last few decades. Unequal development is the root cause of migration. Migration is closely linked to economic development, or the lack of it. In the absence of adequate employment opportunities available in their home countries, workers are compelled to go to foreign shores in search of employment. 

The Conference emphasizes that labour migration has an impact on both origin and destination countries. Migration has a direct bearing on the source country’s balance of payment, unemployment, poverty, and standard of living, quality of life and investment in health and education. Migrant labour also contributes immensely to the destination countries like availability of increased workforce, skilled human resources, economic growth, partially correcting demographic trends, etc.

Even though they comprise a large proportion of the labour force in the region, migrant workers are victims of gross discrimination. The vast sections of less skilled workers are in trying conditions. May of them work under virtual slavery conditions. Given this, the Conference commits the ITUC-AP, working with affiliates and GUFs to: encourage, promote, and facilitate partnership agreements between unions in origin and destination countries, encourage establishing Migrant Labour Centres/departments to specifically attend to migrant workers, campaign against racism and Xenophobia for awareness raising, etc.