IOM launches complaint mechanism, code of conduct
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has launched a national complaint mechanism and a code of conduct for private employment agencies to strengthen the protection of migrant workers and promote ethical recruitment practices in the country.
The initiative, which formed part of efforts to improve labour migration governance, is expected to provide migrant workers with a safe and accessible avenue to report abuse, exploitation and unethical recruitment practices, while ensuring greater accountability among recruitment agencies.
The initiative, which took place after a two-day workshop in Accra yesterday, was introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment.
Background
Developed as a structured and accessible system for receiving, processing and resolving complaints related to labour recruitment practices, the national complaints mechanism was designed to offer migrant workers and other stakeholders a transparent mechanism for seeking redress.
In addition, a pre-departure orientation manual, code of conduct and standard operating procedures for private employment agencies were featured to strengthen the regulation of labour migration processes and safeguard the welfare of Ghanaian workers seeking opportunities abroad.
Ethical recruitment
The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, who launched the initiative, said Ghana remained a country whose workers were highly sought after globally in sectors such as childcare, construction, hospitality, domestic work, agriculture and the extractive industries.
He said thousands of Ghanaians migrated annually in search of decent jobs and better economic opportunities and, therefore, deserved the full protection of the law.
"While labour migration continues to create opportunities for many Ghanaians seeking employment and better livelihoods, these opportunities must be pursued in a manner that protects the rights, dignity and welfare of our people," he added.
Dr Pelpuo said the recruitment industry, both locally and internationally, had been plagued by deceptive job offers, contract substitution, excessive and unlawful recruitment fees, denial of workers' rights and, in some cases, conditions bordering on forced labour and human trafficking.
Dr Pelpuo, therefore, recalled an instance in which Ghanaian workers recruited to work abroad reported severe abuse and poor working conditions, necessitating the intervention of the Labour Department.
"These abuses not only harm individuals but also undermine the integrity of Ghana's reputation as a responsible labour-sending country," he said.
Milestone
He said the code of conduct for ethical recruitment was a major milestone in the country's efforts to promote fair, transparent and responsible recruitment practices, and added that it established clear standards for all actors involved in the recruitment of Ghanaians for domestic and overseas employment.
To that end, he said, the framework would guide private employment agencies to conduct their operations with integrity, professionalism and respect for workers' rights.
On the national complaint mechanism, Dr Pelpuo said, it would provide migrant workers with a formal and accessible channel through which grievances could be lodged and addressed.
He said the platform would enable complaints relating to abuse, exploitation, unethical recruitment practices and violations of workers' rights to be investigated and resolved promptly.
He, therefore, urged private employment agencies to embrace the code and fully comply with the standards it prescribed.
Protection
The National Project Officer at IOM, Eric Kwame Akomanyi, for his part, said the intervention was developed at the request of the government to improve the recruitment and protection of migrant workers.
He, therefore, advised prospective migrant workers to verify the status of recruitment agencies with the Labour Department before accepting overseas job offers.
