ASEAN signs migrant rights agreement

Leaders of Southeast Asian nations have signed an agreement on Tuesday that would protect and promote the rights of migrant workers.

The ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers is projected to benefit around 200,000 Filipino migrant workers in the ASEAN region, most of whom are employed in Singapore and Malaysia.

The ASEAN Consensus allows laborers to join trade unions and associations, provides visitation rights by family members, and prohibits employers from confiscating their workers’ passports and overcharging recruitment fees.

The agreement also ensures the protection of their right to access information pertaining to their employment and employment-related conditions, and respecting their right to fair and appropriate remuneration and benefits.

It also provides upholding fair treatment of migrant workers with respect to gender and nationality, and protection against violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.

DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 11/ 15 /17