More jobs in Europe for Lankans
New employment avenues in France, Poland, Romania:
Rasika SOMARATHNA
COLOMBO: Europe is expected to be the latest destination for
prospective Lankan labour migrants as a successful tour undertaken by a
high level delegation headed by Minister for Foreign Employment and
Welfare Keheliya Rambukwella has opened up new vistas in France, Poland
and Romania.
According to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE)
Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka as a result of successful negotiations, Sri
Lanka is set to sign MOUs with Poland and Romania before the end of the
year and with France in January.
Ranawaka also added that skilled labour opportunities in industrial,
construction and hospitality sectors would be on offer for Sri Lankans
who possess skills and qualifications in accordance with international
standards.
The latest opportunity is expected to provide prospective Lankan job
seekers with better salaries and perks in comparison to employment
opportunities in the Middle East and Asian destinations.
According to Ranawaka, Minister Rambukwella and the Bureau is on the
look out for all viable opportunities in the international labour market
with emphasis on skilled manpower which would earn higher wages and
perks.
The SLBFE in recent times initiated a number of steps to discourage
the common practice of sending unskilled domestic workers and encourage
skilled migrant labour for higher wages.
In a bid to strengthen matters pertaining to migrant labour the
Government recently took steps to sign MOUs with several countries
regarding migrant worker rights, welfare and employment opportunities.
Authorities in recent times have signed MOUs with UAE, Jordan, Libya,
Bahrain, Korea and Kuwait seeking better protocol on issues related to
Sri Lankan migrant workers.
In addition according to Ranawaka Sri Lanka plans to enter into
similar MOUs with Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Japan in the future.
According to latest statistics the Sri Lankan migrant worker
fraternity is considered to be in the excess of 1.6 million with another
220,000 (average) new recruits joining the numbers annually. When it
comes to Sri Lanka’s export earnings the migrant worker remittances
which constitutes of 36% is only second to the income earned through
apparel exports.
During 2007 migrant worker remittances stood at US $ 240 million and
according to sources the figure is on the upward trend. According to
analysts with new vistas on the horizon and considering the growth rates
in the recent times foreign employment is set to eclipse apparel imports
as Sri Lanka’s biggest foreign exchange earner in the near future. |