Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
In making this call the Committee for Asian Women (CAW) said there was less
protection for workers, particularly women, when states participated in the
FTA.
<p>CAW chairman Jurgette Honculada said that in the last 20 years, Asia had seen
the highest number of women in the labour market – about 50% of the workforce
in most countries comprised women.</p>
<p>CAW is a network of 39 women worker groups from 14 Asian countries.</p>
<p>“They experience ‘informalisation’ of work (where workers are
not entitled to legal protection and benefits of traditional employment), and
erosion of existing labour standards,” said Honculada in the three-day
regional conference here yesterday entitled Impact of Globalisation: Uniting
Women Workers of Asia in Action.</p>
<p>She said countries had been deregulating policies and entering into FTAs to
increase the flexibility of the labour market.</p>
<p>“This has reduced the authority of the state in protecting the rights
of women workers, allowing unfair and inhumane employment practices.</p>
<p>“In many Asian countries, growing unemployment and trend of a growing
informal labour has resulted in the labour movement suffering a loss,”
she said.</p>
<p>“All these threaten workers’ rights and weaken the bargaining power
of workers.”
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