Ban of Labour Migration to Gulf Regions should remain in force – MLGWU

MLGWUI on the occasion of the May Day celebration demands of President Nana Akufo-Addo to  immediately establish a Labour Migration Commission to properly handle Migrant Workers social matters and labour grievances before the end of his tenure of office.

In a statement, the Migrant Labour General Worker’s International Union also advocates that the ban on Migration to Gulf Regions in Ghana should remain in force to protect the dignity of the people.

Full statement below:

2024 MAY DAY STATEMENT BY THE MIGRANT LABOUR GENERAL WORKERS’ UNION INTERNATIONAL (MLGWU)

As part of International Workers’ Day, popularly known as May Day, the Secretariat of the Migrant Labour General Workers’ Union International (MLGWUI) with its education – legal – counselling Finnish-French Education Resource Centre (MLGWUI-FFERC) salutes all Migrant Workers, Refugee Workers, Workers in Migration Organisations, Workers and Students of University Faculties on Migration Studies, Members of Country Migrants Groups, Workers in Country Missions in Ghana and Journalists on Migration in Ghana, Africa and abroad, A Peaceful 2024 May Day Celebration.
     Dear Comrades, Friends and Media, be informed that during this first quarter of 2024 industrial disputes and domestic grievances, MLGWUI has successfully handled twenty-one/21 cases in both African and diaspora. As a result, MLGWUI facilitated international employers-workers negotiations, release of confiscated travel documents including Passports, return flight, airport reception, food, transportation to their respective destination homes of five (5) Migrant Workers including critical three (3) Sick Persson out of many Victimised Migrant Workers from Iraq, Kurdistan and other countries to Ghana.  MLGWUI is now looking for fund for their immediately support such as continuous medical care and subsequent business-coaching training sessions with financial grant or kind business equipment support for their self-employment after conduction of Psychosocial Counselling for them.  MLGWUI is doing its best to ensure returning of other Victimised Migrant Workers abroad or local who are in need of Voluntary Returning assistance.

     In this 2024 celebration of May Day, the Migrant Labour General Workers’ Union International with its education – legal – counselling department Finnish-French Education Resource Centre (MLGWUI-FFERC) demands in this Statement in favour of Migrant Workers as follows:
 Ban of Labour Migration to Gulf Regions should remain in forced;

 MLGWUI is urgently looking for best decent work practice companies for International Employment Contract Bilateral Relations to assist Ghanaian and African Workers seeking employment in diaspora as part of our attempt to industrial exploitation and abuse and reducing unemployment rate in Ghana and Africa; 

 MLGWUI promised to collaborate with Ministry of Foreign and Regional Integration, other migration organisations and trade unions/labour organisations in addressing Ghanaian and other national Migrant Workers’ social problems and working grievances abroad;

 MLGWUI urges all Migrant Workers in both Ghana and abroad to visit the Secretariat of MLGWUI for Verbal and Written Interpretation of their contracted Employment Agreement Contract before their departure and commencement of work;

 MLGWUI urges Migrant Workers in Ghana and abroad to call the MLGWUI Secretariat +233 (0) 246 243 966 for their Social Problems and Human and Working Grievances for Rescue, Negotiated Compensations, Voluntary Return; 

 Government of Ghana should include MLGWUI as one of Stakeholders of National Coordination Mechanism on Migration;

 Government of should involve MLGWUI in drafting new National Migration Policy;

 MLGWUI demands President Nana Akufo-Addo for immediately establishment of Labour Migration Commission to properly handling or addressing Migrant Workers social matters and labour grievances before end of his tenure of office;

 Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations should act as matter of urgency to team up with the Ministry of Information to embark Community and Media Campaign or Awareness to educate citizens on Ban Labour Migration to Gulf Region to enable intended Ghanaian or African Migrant Workers avoid labour migration to such countries through unethical recruitment agents or agencies;

 The Labour Department Ghana and Africa should conduct vigorous office or community inspections to check unethical recruitment agents or companies about their activities;

 The Labour Department Ghana and Africa should liaise with the security agencies to arrest a reported unethical agent or company who has engaged in Human Trafficking business; trafficked or victimised or abused a Migrant Worker into unguaranteed employment conditions in both Ghana and abroad;

 Africa and Ghana Governments should resource activities of their National Disaster Management Organisations in order to continuously welcoming Returned Migrants (Returnees) with adequate logistic support at the Arrival Reception Centres such as Kotoka International Airport or other airport or all border transit points;

 Government of Ghana through Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations should create public awareness on Labour (Domestic Workers) Regulation 2020 (L.I 2408) and educate citizens on Domestic Work as Decent Work with better conditions of service to enable Job Seekers determine to apply for: If a Domestic Workers earn decent work salary home, there will be no need for Citizens to migrate for greener pasture or do domestic work abroad; and

 Whilst MLGWUI asking Migrant Workers to seek Pre-departure Labour Migration Advice from the Secretariat of MLGWUI-FFERC before migration, in same vain  urges  all employers who have engaged or employed Migrant Workers to treat them with decent work agenda: equal remuneration for equal work without gender or nationality bias.

……………………………………………………….
GENERAL SECERETARY & HEAD OF EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

DATED IN ACCRA, GHANA THE 30TH OF APRIL, 2024

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