Laws to ensure standard wages for migrant workers

Irangika Range

LAWS: The Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion will pass legislation to ensure fixed salaries for Sri Lankans who go abroad for foreign jobs, Minister Rohitha Abegunawardena said.

"Foreign employees obtain salaries which are very much lower than what the agency has promised.

Under this Act, if any agency contravenes this rule, the Ministry will take legal action."

He said most of the private agencies consider only increasing the number of employees and they do not care about workers' salary and welfare activities.

This situation should be changed and the Ministry with the assistance of the Foreign Employment Bureau will take direct actions against these agencies.

"We will educate these agencies to follow the correct path," he said.

The Ministry has planned the proper mechanism to resolve the problems of foreign employees by connecting officials from the Ministry, Bureau, private agencies and welfare officers in each country, the Minister said.

He said all private agencies and the bureau will maintain a proper database of foreign workers.

The Minister said that personal income of migrant employees records 27 percent in the foreign exchange earnings of Sri Lanka and it takes second place in terms of the total foreign exchange earnings to the country.

"The Ministry has set up a special unit at the Ministry premises to provide information for migrant workers. "Under this, we provide details about welfare facilities including special housing loan scheme for the workers.

"The country has received a quota of 11,000 job opportunities from Korea. It is a big offer and each employee can earn around Rs. 100,000 per month.

Therefore, the Ministry has a responsibility to send well trained and skilled people to Korea.

The Ministry will provide training on language and many details on Koreans' routine, foods and climate. Two Korean instructors will conduct these courses. After the individual interview and the medical test applications are sent to Korea through two local agencies in Korea.

The company official will select the suitable applicants. Already, the Ministry has sent 1500 applications to Korea and awaiting reply.

Migration for professional level jobs is only 10 percent and the Ministry has planned to increase its level to 40 percent within next three years. "We will encourage and provide incentives to increase migration for professional jobs instead of migration of unskilled housemaids.

"We need to change the image of Sri Lanka as a supplier of cheap and unskilled labour to the Middle East.

He said over 150 five star hotels will be set up in Dubai within the next two years and it would create over 500,000 job opportunities for Asia.

The Ministry will train locals on job market requirements.

Additionally, they will explore possibilities in the Malaysian job market as well.

"To increase professional job opportunities, we will set up a training centre in Matugama at Rs. 50 million. The Ministry is involved in training nurses for the USA. It is a three-year programme which has potential for large foreign exchange earnings, he said.