Trade Union actions to protect and to promote the inclusion of Workers in Vulnerable Employment Situations for Arab States

Many international labour standards address the precarious situation of migrant workers, whether they are of national or foreign origin. If of foreign origin, they may be documented or undocumented immigrants, and in the latter case may be vulnerable to exploitation and violations of labour laws. In some countries, the coverage of such laws excludes foreigners, while in others foreign workers may be covered by the law but in practice are discriminated against by both employers and government authorities.

The course on the protection and empowerment of migrant workers aims to foster inclusivity within trade union organizations by equipping them with the tools to amplify the voices and visibility of the most vulnerable migrant workers. It seeks to enhance union democracy, participation inclusivity and responsiveness for all workers. The course will specifically focus on subgroups of migrant workers, including rural workers, and workers with disabilities, while also integrating a strong gender dimension to address the unique challenges faced by women migrant workers.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the training were :

1. Formalization strategies assessment for migrant workers. Including bilateral or multilateral trade union work between countries of origin and destination countries for the definition of common strategies for the formalization of the migrant population reflected in Memorandum of Understandings.

2. Promote the exchange of demonstrative experiences in supporting and monitoring the formal labour market integration of migrant workers.

3. Effective inclusion of vulnerable migrant workers groups within the TU organizations

CONTENT

The on-line phase of the course consisted of four (4) weeks of online learning.

MODULE 1: Migrant workers typology and regional situation

MODULE 2: Labour market, social protection and industrial relations policies for formalization, integration and protection of migrant workers.

MODULE 3: TU transformation, special attention to migrant workers

MODULE 4: Formalization and Distance phase Wrap up

The five-day face-to-face training component offered an in depth exploration on the online content from a pedagogical perspective, featuring micro-sessions led by participants themselves to implement a “learning by doing” approach. Each day’s content and activities have been supplemented with input from ILO ACTRAV specialists, both from headquarters and from the field.

Skills and Competencies

Participants worked collaboratively to develop practical solutions and a trade union development strategy that integrates transition to formality, addressing it holistically in the formalization processes, and fostering teamwork and shared learning

NUMBER OF HOURS: 72