Labour Migration and Development - Essay Example

? Employment Relations Globalization, as we know it, is marked by two notable phenomena, the mobility of capital and the mobility of labor. While the former has important financial repercussions, the latter has been an area of focus for the past half century; ever since the advent of miss migration took place. The world as we know it, is often divided in the North and the South. The North is considered a developed region with a vast amalgamation of wealth and industry, while the South is generally considered as a less privileged, developing region; starting anew in the post colonial period. This socioeconomic demarcation inevitably paves way for South-to-North migration, which will remain our area of focus. In 2000, there were a total of 80.9 Million migrants in the world among which approximately 40% of the migrants were from the South. According to the International labor Organization (ILO), some of the reasons cited for migration include: • Poverty • Wars • Famine • Repression • Population pressures on scarce natural resources, • Wage or income inequality • Growing urbanization, • Reduction in the cost of transport and communications • Increasing interactions among societies • Establishment of migration networks by earlier migrants. Globalization is both a cause, and a consequence of migration. While most of the world is celebrating increased transnational interaction, there is growing skepticism about the fruits of such open interaction and liberal policies. This notion has translated to simultaneously increasing nationalist sentiments in some factions, specially as an aftermath of the global economic crisis. Immigration restrains have often been a subject of moral debate with proponents of migration citing the right to emigrate, as an inalienable right of any human being. It is suggested that equality of opportunity shouldn’t be restricted by geographical boundaries. This is deemed as the cosmopolitan view on immigration. On the other hand opponents of immigration say that migrants remove the sense of homogeneity that exists within a nation, and that migrants create possible hindrance for the nationals to maintain themselves. (J, E., Roemer, 2006) International labor laws and migrant unions are constantly trying to create a balance between easing migrant movement, yet maintaining national sovereignty through regulation of immigration. Consequently, the migrant worker has yet again become an area of focus. Historically seen as an instrument of convenient labor, the experiences of migrant workers pose as interesting commentaries on the existing socioeconomic fabric of the globalized world of today. THE MIGRANT LABOUR MARKET: A notable feature of a number of migrants from the South is their socioeconomic milieu and their skill and education level. While many professionals are seen migrating to the Northern regions, at the other end of the tier there is mass mobilization of unskilled labor, the attractiveness of which lies in its abundance and easy accessibility. Most economies of the South are not able to sustain their citizens, thus the labor market naturally diverts a number of people to move to destinations where they can fetch a relatively higher price for their provided labor. (S, Valiani., 2008) On the demand side, businesses in the North view unskilled migrant workers as a convenient alternative to an empowered local labor market, thus creating room for more commanding working terms. The dynamics of this relationship cause the room for the employers to create undue influence by virtue of their position. This is perhaps an area where trade unions have not been able to negotiate because it lies beyond their conventional area of work. (Holgate, J., 2005) The need for migrant labor in a host region occurs either because of a dearth of the required labor in the local market or because of cost effectiveness. It has been seen that there are particular sectors that usually provide employment for migrant workers. Subject to the country of destination, migrant workers are usually seen employed in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, hotels, restaurants, health care, education, domestic service and agriculture. Apart from healthcare and education, which require a certain level of skill and are accompanied with a certain level of permanence in terms of their employment, the rest of the sectors are marked by seasonal or volatile employment, depending upon the functioning of the market. (ILO, 2004) A number of global phenomena are bound to stimulate a paradigm shift that will potentially resist the movement of migrant labor; the global economic crisis which has led to shrinking economies and higher unemployment, increased outsourcing of work which does not require physical mobilization of labor and a general shift towards capital intensity in contrast to labor intensity. ISSUES: The major issue faced by the migrant worker of today in the North is that of empowerment. While these economically developed states proclaim themselves as champions of democracy, they unfortunately don’t seem too willing to extend all the rights to migrant workers. This is perhaps reflective in the non-ratification of the The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (ICRMW) which has been formally open since 1990. As of now it has only been ratified by 37 states, which is the lowest number of any of the instruments viewed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as “core” human rights treaties. (E, MacDonald, & R, Cholewinski., 2007) The reason cited for this non compliance is the plausible infringement of a nation’s sovereignty in regulating the migrant labor forces, which would be a result of being a signing party to this treaty. Even though the UN has denied existence of any such repercussions, citing specific articles, the skepticism prevails. This lack of cooperation from governments and trade unions, coupled with the desperation of most migrant workers causes the existence of deplorable working conditions and terms for many migrant workers. Due to the natural structure of most labor markets, most migrants from developing countries end up working at the bottom of the ladder, working in the 3-D jobs, which are defined as being dirty, dangerous and difficult. This automatically causes a stagnated job progression, which does not serve as a sign for improving socioeconomic conditions Some of the issues faced by migrant workers include: • Low wages • Irregular working hours • Discrimination • Harassment • Segregation • Racism • Violence (Xenophobia) Some of these issues exist because of the loopholes present in regulations, as is the case of the H-2B program in the United States which prohibits the temporary workers to seek employment elsewhere, thus creating an imbalance of power. The migration of Mexican crab industry workers in Maryland and their treatment has been reported as violating the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (U.S.). Such cases provide a bleak image of the realities that surround migrant unskilled workers. (American University, 2010) While those migrants that are in pursuit of more professional sectors that require a certain level of skill have been recipients of more fruitful perks and incentives, even they are subject to subtle forms of discrimination. Often they are exposed to the ‘glass ceiling’ that exists for them as a hurdle in growth. (F, Oikelome & G, Healy., 2007) Some of the issues, particularly among impoverished migrants are caused by: • Lack of education • Linguistic issues • Lack of legal knowledge • Immigration status The above mentioned traits are a common feature of most immigrants from the South. These features add to the imbalance of power between the employee and the employer. But it must be noted that it is the very dearth of skills that enables these otherwise unemployed people to be employed internationally. These set of traits makes them ideal candidates for the nature of work they are subjected to. Which is perhaps why some would deem this arrangement as an equitable deal, keeping in mind the comparatively higher economic benefits these workers enjoy by virtue of having migrated. MIGRANT WORKERS IN TODAY’S WORLD: Even though the state of a majority of migrant workers in the North does not present a very bright picture in terms of the structural context, yet it proves to be an interesting tool of economic activity that is able to generate substantial remittances and revenues for the parties involved. This is perhaps why even after unimpressive economic indicators, there have been no mass returns of migrants even if outflows from countries of origin have decreased. (ILO, 2009) And even when companies are looking to cut costs and slim down, there are both positive and negative repercussions for the migrant workers. On a positive note, they provide a viable solution to cost cutting in the form of cheap labour, and are thus able to retain or find newer jobs. (S, McLoughlin, & R, Munz., 2011) On the other hand, they are also usually the first to be laid off by virtue of the loose nature of their jobs and tighter immigration policies that are seen as a short term solution to creating jobs for the local population. Migrant workers are also a major supporting factor of the informal economies that spring up as a solution to unfavorable general market conditions. Migrant workers often facilitate hiring by willing to work below the Minimum wage limit, this makes them a weakness for labor unions that strive hard to increase the pressure on increments. An ad hoc solution to cater to the needs of migrant shave been ‘Worker Centers’ that serve as arrangements to empower migrant workers and help them cope with the new environment and strive to protect their rights. (J, Fine., 2006) A lot of countries of the North, specially the U.S. are now facing the consequences of an aging population and a diminishing labor force. (S, Martin,. et al, 2009) This presents a promising opportunity for migrant populations to firmly ground their feet in a job market where they will be more empowered. The U.S. old health care facilities are already looking towards migrant workers to provide a solution to the forecasted shortage of employees is willing to provide their services. This translates to a supply side advantage which can be used to yield better working terms and conditions than those that have been witnessed in the past. A similar situation is occurring in Europe where governments are considering ‘systematic admission’ of migrant workers to fill up the human capital gaps that have sprung up in certain sectors. (S, Castles., 2006) There are two solutions for this, either to legalize the illegal status immigrants and officially induct them as members of the workforce or to admit newer more skilled migrants as per requirements. Traditionally migrant workers in the North have not been viewed as valuable assets and have perhaps been viewed as scavengers in an already saturated market. This has accompanied racism, discrimination and inequity. But as the dynamics of the global economy change, these migrant workers can perhaps gain a better position in the hierarchal structure of the labor market in the Northern region. CONCLUSION: While organizations such as the ILO constantly strive to attain and guarantee the rights for migrants, the situation isn’t bound to change until there is a shift in national policies. Unions will have to look for newer approaches and perhaps broaden their horizons to accommodate the needs of migrant workers so as to ensure that exploitation does not take place. Migrant workers in the North have traditionally faced hostility from their host countries and are often subject to violations of human rights and discrimination. These practices occur because of a lack of legal knowledge in these workers and an instinct to comply in the wake of dire economic needs. (J, Holgate., 2005) While immigration is an effective tool to cater to market needs and promote the ongoing trend of globalization, there need to be stronger representation of migrant workers so that they are not exploited by those that are in a position to dominate. The empowerment of media and non state actors such as NGOs can perhaps offer a solution for them by highlighting their issues and educating them about the rights that are fundamentally theirs. The stark difference in the conditions and environments in the global North and South is a historic feature, with the former deemed as the core and the latter, the periphery. It is not surprising to note that the South also serves as a source of accessible labor that can cater to the needs of the Northern markets without being able to demand the same compensation a citizen of that region normally would. 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