Responding to the announcement of a third phase of cooperation between the Government of Saudi Arabia and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to advance decent work reforms, Iain Byrne, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, said:
“While today’s announcement recognizes the need for labour reforms for migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, it remains unclear how comprehensive this programme will be and what impact it will have on the rights, health and livelihoods of millions of workers who depend on this being much more than a façade.
“Human rights groups and unions have long been demanding for a serious and far-reaching labour reform process that would put an end to the severe exploitation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.”
Iain Byrne, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice
“Human rights groups and unions have long been demanding for a serious and far-reaching labour reform process that would put an end to the severe exploitation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The fact that global unions filed a formal complaint against the country at the ILO on the very same day as this agreement was signed, speaks volumes of just how far Saudi Arabia still has to go to protect the rights of migrant workers in the country.
“If this programme is to be truly transformative for migrant workers, it must among other things fully tackle the core features of the abusive kafala system that leave workers wholly dependent on their employers.
“It must also address the severe limits on the freedoms of expression and association in the country, together with the lack of access for NGOs and trade unions which make it impossible to independently monitor the implementation of any labour agreement, further undermining its credibility and effectiveness.
“We urge the Saudi authorities and the ILO to make all aspects of this cooperation public and allow independent monitoring of its implementation. To sufficiently safeguard the rights of the country’s 13.4 million migrant workers, this agreement must lead to a complete overhaul of the current labour system and end the prevalent culture of impunity.”
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