Asia-Pacific region sees ratification of ILO’s lowest core conventions for workers rights

The countries in Asia and the Pacific region have ratified the lowest core conventions of International Labour Organisation to ensure workers’ rights at workplaces. So said Tomoko Nishimoto, assistant director general (ADG) of ILO for Asia and the Pacific, at Bali in Indonesia on December 6. Nishimoto was talking to the Dhaka Tribune on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Regional Meeting of the International Labour Orgnisation.What is the present scenario of workers’ rights in the Asia Pacific region?Unfortunately, Asia and the Pacific region as a whole is the region where ratification of the core conventions is the lowest in the world. I think this is very important point, probably people know, but repeatedly, we have to say this is not acceptable. The member states should sign the eight core conventions to ensure workers’ rights in the region. The eight conventions are termed fundamental principles, which cover freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining, elimination of all forms of forced and child labour, elimination of discrimination with respect to employment and occupation and minimum wage. The workers do not have the legal protection or legal base for demanding for a number of core principles as those Asian and Pacific nations have not ratified the core conventions. According to ILO data, only 14 out of 47 including the West Asian Arab countries ratified the ILO’s core conventions that ensure workers rights.Does the ratification of conventions mean that rights are ensured?One of the most important indicators in terms of the labour situation is whether the countries have ratified those international conventions or not. There is no straightforward correlation, but ratification is taking place. The core convention is the indication of the member states’ readiness or willingness to attempt to guarantee the labour situation in the countries. Sometimes, there is a misunderstanding of the collective bargaining as to whether people will demonstrate on the street if the conventions are ratified..Since migration is a major problem in the Asia Pacific region, how can be addressed? It is very true that migration is one of the major subjects that has been discussed in the 16th Asia Pacific Regional Meeting and many expressed concerns in the regional meeting. We do not have accurate data about the abuse of female workers’ abuse in the Arab countries, but the ILO is working on it so that the female workers in the middle-eastern countries are treated well.Do you think that the migrant workers should bear the expenses to be employed?The payment by the expected migrant workers can be eliminated both by the sending and receiving countries. In this process, the recruiting companies will bear the cost of migrant workers. The cost of good workers should be incorporated into the cost of recruitment by the employers.How to ensure fair and promised wages for the migrant workers?The ILO has already placed the migration issue in the global migration forum held last year. And a guideline for fair wages and fair recruitment for the migrant workers for both sending and receiving countries has already been formulated. Resolving the migration issues is not only the responsibility of any particular country. Both the sending and receiving countries have to build capacity for fair recruitment and fair wages.After Rana Plaza collapse, safety and workers rights in Bangladesh were questionable. Do you think Bangladesh made a progress in strengthening the workplace safety and rights?I think in terms of garment sector and in terms of factory safety, the progress is significant. Before Rana Plaza and after Rana Palza there is a significant improvement. There is always half full and half full of the glass. I will start it with half full as the improvement is significant in Bangladesh. All the workers either inside the EPZs or outside the EPZs should be protected in terms of international labour standard. This is also true for migrant workers.Is Bangladesh on right track for decent jobs?The economic growth in the region including Bangladesh is quite good. Now there is probably more than 6% growth, but that did not translate into good jobs or decent jobs and a good wage is linked to the productivity.