The Philippines is a major source country of migrant
workers, a huge number of whom are nurses, and health and care workers.
The
Philippines is a major source country of migrant workers, a huge number of whom
are nurses, and health and care workers. PSI represents around 7 million health
and social care workers globally, or one-third of its membership.
Attended by
more than 60 representatives* from trade unions, government agencies,
employers, recruiters and civil society organizations, the symposium was
organized by PSI to highlight and disseminate best practices in
promoting decent work and social protection for migrant workers. The
activity is part of PSI’s Project on Decent Work and Social
Protection for Migrant Workers in the Public Services.
“Too often lack of adequate
information on migration has placed a staggering number of overseas Filipino
workers in vulnerable and risky economic and social situations,” says Annie
Enriquez-Geron, Vice President of PSI Asia Pacific region.
Countless migrant workers have
fallen victim to illegal recruiters and traffickers due to lack of information.
Many migrant workers have unrealistic expectations and insufficient information
about recruitment procedures, employment and living conditions abroad, labor
laws, workers’ rights in countries of destination and social costs of migration.
“Access to information is important
so that migrant workers in public services can make informed decisions and
avoid fraudulent recruitment practices,” says Enriquez-Geron.
Recognizing the need to provide
accessible, rights-based, country-specific, skill-specific, and
gender-responsive information materials for migrant health workers, PSI worked
in partnership with the International Labor Organization (ILO) Office to pilot
a set of migrant information materials that cover all the stages of migration
including pre-decision, pre-departure, arrival and onsite, and return and
reintegration. The kits were developed through the ILO Decent Work Across
Borders Project with funding from the European Union.
*PSI affiliates in the
Philippines Alliance of Government Workers in the Water Sector (AGWWAS),
Alliance of Filipino Workers (AFW), Confederation of Independent Unions in the
Public Sector (CIU), Manila Water Employees Union (MWEU), Maynilad Water
Supervisors Association (MWSA), Philippine Government Employees Association
(PGEA), Philippine Independent Public Sector Employees Association (PIPSEA),
Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK) were actively
involved. Joining them are sister unions TEHY of Finland and the German
affiliate Ver.di.
For more information see:
·
Philippine Pre-Decision Booklet on Labour Migration for
Health Workers
·
Pre-departure
information for Filipino and Indian migrant health
workers bound for Norway.
·
Pre-departure
information for Filipino and Indian migrant health
workers bound for Germany.
·
Pre-departure
information for Filipino and Indian migrant health
workers bound for Finland.
·
Return and
re-integration to the Philippines - An information guide
for migrant Filipino health workers
