Migrants Day: Efforts to Protect Guest Workers
Bermudians are being encouraged to open their eyes to the plight of some migrant workers on the island and to take a principled stand against those who abuse the rights of their overseas employees.
The Bermuda Industrial Union yesterday [Nov 22] said it will take part in an international initiative to highlight the rights of migrant workers, marking International Migrants Day on December, 18 and holding an awareness campaign to focus public attention on the subject on December 17.
Pictured below are Louis Somner (BIU Organiser), Michelle St. James, Graham Nesbitt (BIU Organiser), Chris Furbert (BIU President), Richenel Ilario, Lucy Attride Stirling (Amnesty International):
The BIU’s chief union coordinator George Scott said it was vital to ensure migrant workers in Bermuda are not unfairly exploited. The BIU is particularly concerned about migrant domestic workers — many of them not fluent in English — who are paid meagre wages while being expected to be on-call 24 hours a day in some cases.
Mr. Scott said the BIU would be marking International Migrants Day under the banner of the Building Workers International (BWI), a regional labour association made up of Bermuda, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados and Curacao.
“We’re doing a campaign on bringing all the awareness of migrant workers and their rights. We will put out information on the rights of migrant workers,” he told the Bermuda Sun. “Government, associations within the community and employers are invited. But we’re asking the people themselves to come out and hear the speakers and hear the accolades.”
In 1997, Filipino and Asian migrant organisations began celebrating and promoting December 18 as the International Day of Solidarity with Migrants. This date was choosen because it was on 18 December 1990 that the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrants Workers and Members of Their Families. In 2000 the UN General Assembly designated December 18 of each year as International Migrant’s Day. This year marks the first time the international observance of migrant workers’ efforts, contributions and rights will be held in Bermuda.
Earlier this year former Labour Minister Lt. Col. David Burch touched on the topic of migrant workers in a speech, saying some in Bermuda are vulnerable to abuse.
“For the most part I believe non-Bermudian workers are being treated fairly,” he said. “However, one case of abuse of workers is too many and when reported will be fully investigated and addressed.
“We do not wish to see anybody Bermudian or non-Bermudian ill-treated by their employer. I have noticed an increasing trend of abuse of workers generally and I wish to put all on notice that this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated.”
To report instances of abuse or discrimination in the workplace, call the Department of Labour on 295-5151.
[Photo courtesy of the BIU]
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BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH all talk…lest we forget about the Filipino’s pulling themselves out of the May 24th Parade. Has this been addressed yet!? Bermudians treat everybody from elsewhere as 2nd class citizens and it is no wonder why some employers get away with doing what they do!!!
Can expats be part of the Unions in BDA?
“The BIU is particularly concerned about migrant domestic workers — many of them not fluent in English — who are paid meagre wages while being expected to be on-call 24 hours a day in some cases.”
They can start by disseminating the labour laws in the primary languages spoken by the guest workers so they understand exactly what their rights are. This should be done verbally (since some can’t read) in common platforms like churches or the workplace, and also written and hand-delivered to the individuals and employers. Each country/region should also have an educated representative elected to speak on their behalf and meet with the BIU on a regular basis. My guess is many of these guest workers will not report abuses via the normal channels due to unsympathetic government workers and/or fear of a backlash from their employer. In fact, I’d go one step further and make sure that guest workers have representation WITHIN the Dept of Labour.
why is the BIU involved? these ppl are happy. They work one million hours per week because they know its more money to send home. They do jobs that we don’t want. They go to the airport dump and pick cars and cycles clean to send the parts home. They live cheap, don’t take up much space, don’t steal, drive drunk, etc. Why complain???
Irony is a Beach, layden with washed up waste, recycled, flautened, shoved aside, used and used as an excuse.
Ex-pats support the ecconomy, serve you, clean up after you whilst you put a face on a clown that smiles in your mirror in a dark room.
I need a rum.
I thought Guest workers to Bermuda are required to speak English in order to work in Bermuda? I feel that is not unreasonable to ask, right? I can tell you first hand that the majority of domestic help is now coming from the Pilipino country and these individuals work hard, they do. They also know how to make a dollar. They do understand English, trust me, especially if you try and short change them. They also will work and want to work extended hours because they have left their families behind and can do so, Bermudians will find this hard as this is where their families live.
In addition, there is a network of domestic workers that on their day off work under the table for various people will clean homes and they know full well it is against the law but have another Pilipino that is married to a Bermudian accept the payment. They are skilled at finding work and will extend their services beyond what they are hired to do and for whom they are hired for.
Now, I am totally against any human being that is mistreated or misused but I am also not in agreement with jobs that are potentially taken from Bermudians i.e. cleaning homes etc. because these individuals will do it cheaper as they can do so. They have no real rent to pay as they can all stay in a home sometimes 12 or more and some already live at the original employers homes so on their day off the money they make is all theirs to send to their families overseas.
This is also an injustice to the Bermudian people so let’s get them to fess up and have a Bermudian Day to protect the Bermudian domestic workers.
When are Bermudians going to recognize that each of us, whether from now or then, were from another place of origin besides Bermuda.
We were all migrants once upon a time? Yet we seem to forget our past while dealing with the present – One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself!
The only natives here in 1609 were cahow’s and hog’s! Uhm juss sayinn!
In that case we are all free to roam the world; you are getting pretty deep we all come from some place at some time. Bermuda is only so big and can only accomodate so many people compared to where the mojority of guest to our islands come from. The majority of individuals that come to our shores are looking to better themselves financially, case closed, then they leave. I did not say all but the majority, the others claim they are in love for the time being and get married. Where do we; no matter where our forefathers came from some 200 or so years ago matter. We are here like the cahows and hogs and are citizens of Bermuda and this is our home however small and we spend our money i.e. mortgages etc. here we don’t send it to out to make our home elsewhere.
Now in saying all this, I do belive that guest workers do provide valuable support to our island as they do all over the world. But everyplace in the world has rules a regulations in connection with guest workers.
Again, just because you are not from Bermuda does not give anyone the right to treat you unfairly as that is what this forum is about or so I thought. I know of Bermudians that are being treated unfairly so this is why I feel it is not about a special day in sorts but more of a human rights issue for anyone that is being treated unfairly.
Any migrant worker that takes up employment in Bermuda will usually have some sort of written agreement i.e a contract,agency referral, letter, etc. In that agreement or contract will be all of the details concerning the employment i.e. Pay, accommodation, meals, etc. If any of those details should change once the employee has landed then the employee should take the appropriate action. Once the employee has accepted the terms of Employment they have no right to cry Wolf, they only have themselves to blame, whether they are from Australia or Bangladesh. Far to many times, peoples only concern is to flee their country for a better life regardless of their agreement.