May our migrant labour be empowered

A few days back our Business pages gave out the encouraging news that the demand for Lankan migrant labour in Lebanon has more than doubled.

As Lebanon enters a reconstruction phase following the recent devastation parts of its suffered, the demand for our female labour, apparently, is growing. This trend seems to be true of the Middle East in general.

Employment opportunities abroad for our labour are always good news and we call on the relevant State agencies to lose no time in meeting this rising demand.

Needless to say, foreign remittances from local migrant labour constitute a mainstay of our economy and relentless efforts need to be made to ensure that foreign employment opportunities are not missed.

A point that should not be missed by the authorities is that the wages paid to our labour in countries such as Lebanon are now on the rise. This is added reason why the demand for our labour in particularly the Middle East should be met forthwith.

That said, it is also up to the local Labour authorities to ensure that all the welfare needs of our migrant labour are fully met.

The Lankan mission in Lebanon performed a Herculean task in getting as many of our workers in that country back to Sri Lanka at the height of the recent devastation in Southern Lebanon. This is amply appreciated but that crisis also underscored the many continuing vulnerabilities of our migrant labour.

For instance, reports were rife that many of our female workers were abandoned by their employers at the height of the fighting in Southern Lebanon. There were heart-rending accounts of how female workers were left behind in devastated homesteads to fend for themselves.

The abandonment suffered by our workers adds to the plethora of problems grappled with by such labour which today keeps the wheels of our economy humming.

We need hardly mention the numerous types of harassment suffered by some of them, including those of a sexual nature, which have rendered their lot deeply rending-rending.

There is also the problem of unscrupulous employers who default on payments due to these workers who mean so much to Sri Lanka and its well-being.

Accordingly, the authorities have still a long way to go in ensuring the complete well being of our migrant labour. We are quite aware that the relevant State agencies are sparing no pains in preparing our female workers to meet the trials which may be awaiting them.

For instance, some empowerment measures, such as the imparting of needed language skills, are being implemented. However, we believe that much more can be done to improve the lot of these workers.

If some foreign employers have been abandoning their Lankan wards, it is because they are not being rigidly held accountable for the well-being of these workers.

Even if contracts are signed between employer and employee, apparently, not all of these are fool proof. Employers are let off the hook in a time of crisis.

Besides, all forms of harassment meted out to these workers must be checked and contained. Hopefully, the local authorities would now resolve these issues, strongly in favour of our workers.

We need to constantly bear in mind that our migrant labour is now virtually a prime life-giver of our economy. A huge prop of the Lankan economy would collapse if the lot of these workers is ignored.

It should be also remembered that they are sacrificing family and home in contributing towards Sri Lanka's economic sustenance. A supreme sacrifice, no doubt.

These are the reasons why these workers need to be empowered to an exceptional degree. They could never be left at the mercy of forces which may tend to be indifferent to their interests.

These reflections should also lead to more careful use of the financial resources generated by this vital section of our labour force. Their blood, sweat and tears bring in extremely valuable foreign exchange. May it never be squandered.

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