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| Sunday, 24 July 2005 |
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Plans to explore world employment market for Lankans by L. S. A. Wedaarachchi Having changed the traditional concept of foreign employment, sending housemaids to the Middle East, the Ministry of Foreign Employment and Labour Relations plans to explore the world employment market for Sri Lankans. It is believed that 1.5 million Sri Lankans are employed abroad and 75 per cent of them work as domestic servants especially in the Middle East. According to the Foreign Employment and Labour Relations Minister Athauda Seneviratne a special unit to work on this line had been organised recently under the Foreign Employment Bureau. "It is a long-term plan with a new vision for foreign employment. Skilled workers as well as professionals are needed by the world. There is a high demand for housemaids, heavy vehicle drivers and labourers in the Middle East. On the other hand Europe and USA have a high demand for professionals, health workers, nurses and caretakers. Sri Lanka, having a highly educated, efficient and young population seeking jobs for higher salaries, should not only look at the Middle East where employment opportunities seem to be in abundance. Malaysia, Korea and Japan are eager to recruit Sri Lankans because of their efficiency. We must explore the employment market of Europe, America and other regions of the world, the Minister said. Minister Seneviratne had discussions recently in Geneva, Switzerland with officials of the International Organisation for Migrant Workers (IOM), the wing for migrant workers of the United Nations (UN). At the discussion the minister proposed to set up regional offices for migrant workers all over the world. IOM has accepted the proposal and the first of such regional offices will be set up in Kuwait in the near future. The expenses of setting up the regional office in Kuwait will be shared by Sri Lanka with IOM. Minister Seneviratne has already decided to send a Sri Lankan official to IOM-regional office in Kuwait to attend to Sri Lankan employers in the region. Nearly ten thousand Sri Lankan workers who lost their employment due to the Kuwait war, had not received the compensation from the UN due to the lack of information submitted by them. This was also discussed with UN officials by the Minister and it was agreed to pay their compensation amounting to Rs. 3,000 million. The Ministry of Foreign Employment and Labour Relations have stressed the need for training Sri Lankan foreign job seekers to meet the requirements of foreign employees. A continuous research, marketing and training program on migrant workers
is being explored by the Ministry. |
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