Manpower stays out in the cold

Porimol Palma

A Bangladeshi worker, sitting at Zia International Airport among over a hundred others sent home from Malaysia, shows his passport to the press. Thousands like him were sent back in 2009. Photo: SK Enamul Haq

In place of working out a visionary plan to discipline the mismanaged and shrinking overseas employment sector, very little did the government do in its first year except for some routine works.

During its one-year rule the manpower market shrunk to 4.75 lakh, which is almost 50 percent less compared to last year's 8.75 lakh, because of global meltdown and previous irregularities in the sector.

The Awami League-led government, which came to power with a pledge for change, hardly took any steps in checking perennial malpractices that cost the workers dearly both at home and abroad.

The government failed to woo Malaysia, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to resume taking workers. However, minister level visits to Mauritius, Maldives and Greece helped check deportation of around 30,000 Bangladeshis.

Recession-hit returnee migrants ignored
The global recession forced many workers to return home, mainly from Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia either on long leave or having been dismissed from their jobs. The government totally ignored them saying that it was difficult to separate migrant workers from others.

“The government provided incentives to different sectors because of global recession. But our migrants who send home the highest amount of remittance were deprived. This is an irony,” said Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) President Ghulam Mustafa.

Malaysia's visa cancellation: No progress
Only after two months of the new government, Malaysia shockingly cancelled work visas of over 55,000 job seekers. Visits to Malaysia by both Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain could make no progress at all.

Experts say that corrupt practices in the labour recruitment process led those countries to such a decision. The government has taken no initiatives so far to stop irregularities and malpractices in the sector.

Saudi Arabia maintains status-quo
Bangladesh's biggest labour market Saudi Arabia, which annually used to hire around 1.5 lakh Bangladeshis in the previous years, significantly reduced the number to some 15,000 in 2009. The Kingdom says the reduction was meant to strike a balance among the foreign nationals there.

There was serious propaganda against Bangladeshi workers but Bangladesh took no steps in this regard. Bangladesh could have set up a press wing there to make up for it, said a recruiting agent.

Kuwait's case in cold
Kuwait almost stopped hiring workers in late 2006 citing mismanagement in the recruitment process, which ultimately led to labour unrest and deportation of many workers. The new government, however, is still unable to help melt the ice.

Libya: a prospective market getting spoiled
Amid recession Libya was the only market that was hiring more workers, but unfortunately Bangladesh's diplomatic ties with the country is not strong enough.

The expatriates' welfare minister still could not meet the authorities of Libya, which requires one million workers in the next few years. By this time, brokers and labour suppliers started trading on workers depriving them of due salaries and often leaving them unemployed.

Visa trading and high migration cost issues unattended
A major problem in labour migration process is visa trading by unauthorised brokers, which increases migration cost. Besides, false promises of high salaries and jobs are also an everyday phenomenon.

Experts suggested bringing a stop to brokers role in the sector or bringing them under law to make them accountable, but the present government is treading the path of the previous regime.

Baira President Ghulam Mustafa said they had discussed the matter to set a minimum cost and enforce it strictly, as the government-fixed cost, for example Tk 84,000 for Malaysia had never been implemented. Workers paid more than Tk 2 lakh each to go to Malaysia.

“If we can follow a fixed minimum cost, the brokers in other countries where our workers are migrated will be compelled to reduce it. But all on a sudden our minister set the cost of Libya-going workers at Tk 38,000.

This was frustrating and we stopped going ahead with our plan,” he added.

No initiative to ensure accountability of agents
Recruiting agents mostly buy visas from the unauthorised middlemen in the receiving countries, but the payment is done through hundis. Baira demanded that Bangladesh Bank allows them to remit certain amount for the purpose.

On the other hand, overseas job seekers generally pay money to the brokers or agents in cash. Experts say it is essential the government makes it mandatory for the jobseekers to transact money only through banks to check fraudulence. The government, however, has no plan about it yet.

Nursing education caught in red tape
The government endorses that nursing education could greatly add value to the overseas employment, especially as the developed countries have demand for lakhs of nurses. The US alone will be in need of 1.4 million nurses and caregivers by 2014.

Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain also pledged to establish nursing institutes. But the health ministry says any private institute must have a 100-bed hospital and 80-bed dormitory to run BSC nursing programme. The minister now says, “What can I do? It is a matter of health ministry.”

No market research
When the labour market is shrinking it is imperative for the government to vigorously conduct labour market research to prepare its manpower to look for new markets and try to defend the old ones at the same time.

“The sector is helping the country immensely but the government is actually sleeping,” quips a businessman.

Some good steps
Despite many weaknesses, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain during his visits to the Maldives and Greece recently got assurances that those countries will not send back home 16,100 and 6,000 undocumented Bangladeshis.

Foreign Minister Dipu Moni's recent visit to Mauritius was very successful, as the African country withdrew its earlier decision of not renewing job contracts of some 6,000 Bangladeshi workers after December 31, 2009.

The government announced setting up an expatriates' welfare bank. It took up projects of establishing 30 more technical training centres and five marine technology institutes and to introduce smart cards to reduce hassles and provide special facilities to the migrant workers.

The government decided to introduce smart cards for migrants so that workers can get quick help in case they are in trouble.

It also decided to open new labour wings in Sudan, Sierra Leone, Jordan, Italy and Japan. However, manpower recruitment has already started in Algeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Botswana and Angola. Diplomatic ties with these countries, however, are yet to start.

Iraq has also started hiring workers.