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EFBWW News

Action Alert: International Migrant Workers' Day

17/12/2020

Tomorrow (18 December) is the International Migrant Workers’ Day. The EFBWW and the Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) are jointly commemorating this day under the theme ‘We are all Migrants’. Migrant workers are a significant part of the workforce in construction and forestry and are vulnerable to exploitation and to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join us to campaign for the protection of migrant workers in line with international human rights and labour standards and for comprehensive and integrated COVID-19 strategies that include migrant workers in national responses and social protection measures. 

Show solidarity!

To show solidarity at the international level, we ask affiliates to: 

Take a selfie or a group photo (while observing health and safety protocols) with our campaign posters and post them on social media platforms.
Use the campaign hashtag: #WeAreAllMigrants 
Print out the posters and post them at workplaces and other areas frequented by trade unionists and workers.
Use our poster as temporary Facebook profile photo on 18 December. 

Take action!

  • We ask you to take action at national level, by writing to your relevant government ministries, issuing a media statement or organising an action (while observing COVID safety protocols), demanding, as appropriate to the local situation:
  • Recognition and respect of fundamental worker rights on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining of migrant workers
    Protection of workers from exploitation by recruitment and employment agencies.
    Government and employers provide wage and job protection for migrant workers during the pandemic and an end to forced repatriation.
    An amnesty should be put in place in countries to suspend arrests and deportations of workers that are undocumented workers or have work permit issues, to ensure that these workers are not exposed to risk and that they are able to access healthcare.
    All people within national borders, including documented and undocumented migrants, must have access to food, healthcare, sanitation and housing to address human dignity deficits.
    Ratification of ILO Convention 97 on Migration for Employment and Convention 143 on Migrant Workers to improve the access of migrant workers to rights.

Read the full call for action and access the posters in English, French and Spanish here.