Article
COVID-19: A time for businesses to act responsibly in ensuring justice for migrant workers
[Recommendations to employers in summary:]
- Employers must ensure that all salaries are paid in full and without delays...
- Employers must not deduct wages for time away from work... COVID-19, which must be treated as an occupational illness...
- Employers must not impose or coerce workers into new contracts
- Companies should ensure that there are no cash flow issues that will affect payment of wages to workers in the supply chain...
- Companies should observe and comply with all applicable laws, regulations in accordance to international standards and with collective agreements...
- Companies should take measures to ensure workers’ labour rights are respected regardless of their migratory status...
- Any contractual change must be temporary, and mutually agreed with workers...
- Companies should encourage governments to include migrant workers in any and all social safety net schemes...
- When contracts are terminated, companies should observe their obligations...
- Companies must continue to provide food and accommodation for laid off migrant workers...
- Companies should take into account the consequences of lay-offs and other employment measures on the visa status of their migrant workers...
- During the recovery period, companies should prioritize reinstating repatriated workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic...
- Companies should cooperate with the national claims commission...
- As an expression of solidarity and social responsibility, companies could make monetary contributions to a compensation fund.