Thursday, 29 January 2015
Decent work is central to acknowledge human rights and dignity at the workplace. Recent years have seen a worldwide erosion of decent working conditions: low job security, poor wages, lack of social protection and union representation. Worldwide, among the most vulnerable workers are migrant workers.
In 2013, the number of migrants globally hit an all-time record of 232 million, half of them are migrant workers. Asia makes up 25 percent of migrants worldwide, 30 million Asian workers are currently working abroad and trends predict a further increase. On the one hand, economic globalization and trade liberalization have destroyed numerous jobs and caused increased migration pressure. Job shortage, employment insecurity, poor wages as well as the absence of active labour market policies have accelerated the outflow of workers. Countries like the Philippines and Mexico showcase this correlation. On the other hand, the structure of the economy, labour and skills shortages and demographic changes are key factors that drive the demand for workers in receiving countries like Singapore or Germany.