A Charter of Rights for Migrant Workers in Agriculture

Posted to the IUF website 14-Jul-2003

Share this article.



In 2002, the IUF Congress approved a proposal of the Agricultural Workers' Trade Group Conference to begin to address the tremendous problem of migrant labour in agriculture by, among other tools, developing a charter of rights for migrant workers in the sector for unions to campaign around. The IUF and the German IG Bau therefore held an international workshop on migrant agricultural workers and the tasks of the unions in Berlin from June 24-26. Representatives of agricultural trade unions from Egypt, France, Germany, Moldova, the Netherlands South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine and the UK took part.

The workshop focused on presenting and discussing the unions' varied experiences with organizing migrants with the goal of establishing current "best practice". Current efforts and approaches to the very difficult task of defending and organizing migrants vary considerably from country to country, and even from crop to crop, as does the political and industrial approach to the problem and the degree of experience of IUF affiliates. All agree, however, that the often desperate situation of vulnerable and exploited migrant workers in the sector depresses standards for workers as a whole and must be addressed through union action at a variety of levels.

The meeting therefore produced a draft charter of rights for migrant workers in agriculture, the text of which is reproduced on the facing page. The draft charter, which must still be approved by the IUF's governing bodies, will serve as the basis for the IUF's work on the migrant issue at the ILO Symposium on Decent Work in Agriculture to be held September 15-18, and for the discussion on migrant labour at the ILO next year.

Decent work and equal treatment

Labour is not a commodity: poverty anywhere constitutes a danger to prosperity everywhere(1)

No worker is an illegal worker

Millions of workers in agriculture work outside their home countries. They have the right to decent work and equal treatment.
These rights are:

• Equal pay and working conditions in line with those of nationals of the host country, including those benefits derived from collective bargaining(2) and trade union membership;


• Freedom from physical or psychological violence and harassment, inhumane treatment and arbitrary deportation;


• No child labour or forced labour;


• Freedom of movement (employers cannot withhold passports or permits)
  
• No discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour, sexual orientation, language, religion, political conviction, nationality, age, economic position, property, marital status, birth or other status;


• Safe and healthy working conditions (3);


• No forced deductions from wages;


• Adequate accommodation and sanitation;


• Access to education for their children;


• Access to medical services, social security and justice;


• Access to accurate information, in the relevant languages, in home countries and host countries.

These rights, which apply to women and men regardless of their status, are recognised in international laws such as the Conventions of the International Labour Organisation and United Nations Conventions.(4) They are best protected through membership of a trade union, therefore the right to join a trade union is fundamental.

As trade unions representing workers in agriculture we are committed to fighting for these rights for all migrant workers, documented or undocumented.

We will fight to improve living and working conditions for all migrant workers.

Governments and employers also have the duty to respect these rights.

1 Declaration of Philadelphia
2 Collective agreements usually cover hours of work, overtime rates, training, sick pay and holiday pay etc
3 ILO Convention 184 on safety and health in agriculture
4 ILO Conventions 97 concerning migration for employment and 143 concerning migrants in abusive conditions and the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment of migrant workers; UN International Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families