It's time for action on migrant workers, say industry leaders

Momentum is building behind a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at extending greater protections to migrant workers, following a roundtable meeting hosted by the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) in March.

Around 200 million people throughout the world work away from their country of birth. Many are recruited by unscrupulous recruitment agencies that demand huge loans to cover spurious fees, only to end up working for poverty wages in dangerous and demeaning jobs.

Their situation is compounded by widespread discrimination in pay, employment status and promotion opportunities, while in some countries, national law prohibits even legal migrants from joining trade unions.

The meeting, which brought together 35 representatives from global retail brands, the recruitment industry, voluntary organisations, and international trade unions, was the first in a series to be organised by the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), in partnership with ETI.

Said John Morrison of the Institute of Human Rights and Business: "Despite globalisation and the liberalisation of goods and trade, there is very little cross border policy agreement on migrant workers even between states, let alone businesses.

"If businesses are operating in a space where governments are not joining up, this creates a ‘governance gap', and brings major risks for both migrant workers themselves, and for the businesses that indirectly employ them."

Said ETI Director Dan Rees: "Many of our members are beginning to find innovative ways to promote the responsible recruitment and employment of migrant workers. But they urgently need a means of linking their own individual efforts to a wider, co-ordinated collaboration between companies, government and civil society."

A raft of options for further collective action is already being developed. IHRB and IBLF will explore opportunities for in-country engagement, including practice-orientated roundtables with brands, suppliers and recruitment agencies, and dialogue with relevant government ministries on labour law enforcement.

ETI will lead on establishing an international multi-stakeholder forum to share good practice, develop an agenda for collective dialogue with government, and work towards a common set of principles for responsible migrant worker recruitment and employment.

Said Rees: "We aim to provide a space to achieve progress on this global challenge."