The idea of an ISC on migrant workers in the global economy originated from the Euro-WEA Racism and Xenophobia network. This network consisted of several affiliates exchanging information on anti-racist education programmes, and on work with refugee, asylum seeker and migrant communities. Implementing an ISC offered the opportunity to move beyond information exchange and towards collaborative education on such issues.

Twelve countries have been selected to participate from both European and developing regions. The ISC will be divided into two language groups – Portuguese and English – which will run simultaneously and exchange information at key points during the education process. The facilitators' international preparatory seminar for the English speaking group took place in Helsinki, Finland whilst the seminar for the Portuguese speaking group took place in Lisbon, Portugal. This report combines the discussions of both seminars. The groups will make use of the same education materials and will conduct a joint evaluation of the ISC at a seminar due to take place in Lisbon in June 2001.

IFWEA and Euro-WEA would like to thank the following organisations for their generous support, financial and otherwise:

• DGVIII of the European Commission
• UGT, Portugal
• CEFOSAP, Portugal
• WEA, England and Scotland
• ABF, Sweden

The following organisations and facilitators have been selected to participate:

	Shirley Allen – Workers' Education Association (WEA), England and Scotland
	Paula Borges – União Geral de Trabalhadores (UGT), Portugal
	João Ca / Ninive Balde – União Nacional dos Trabalhadores da Guiné
	Manuel Defuila – Central Geral de Sindicatos Independentes e Livres de Angola (CGSILA)
	Joaquim Fanheiro / Mario Sitoe – Organizacão dos Trabalhadores de Mocambique (OTM)
	José Ferreira/Filomena Lima – Confederacão Caboverdiana de Sindicatos Livres, Cabo Verde
	David Joyce - Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)
	Susana Luna – Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund (ABF), Sweden
	Musadiq Sanwal – Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER)
	Konstantin Savvidis – Institute of Vocational Training, Greece
	Julio Silva / Manuel Neves – União Nacional dos Trabalhadores de Cabo Verde (UNTC)
	Dave Smith – National Union of Government and Federated Workers, Trinidad and Tobago

In addition to the above, participation is also expected from Brazil, United States and Canada. However, these countries were not represented at the seminars in Helsinki and Lisbon.

In order to identify the core themes for the ISC, each facilitator presented a general overview of the situation of migrant workers in their countries. The country reports were extremely useful in establishing a general picture of global trends in migration, including both the commonalties and differences between countries. The key issues to emerge, include:

Terminology

It became apparent that the term 'migrant worker' is understood differently in individual countries. For some countries the term 'migrant workers' is used to mean someone who leaves their homeland in order to find paid work in another country. Some states encourage their citizens to go abroad, others actively recruit foreign workers often in specific industries. In many countries in Europe, for example Britain, the term 'migrant worker' tends not to be used. These workers are described under other headings often expressed as a negative, such as ‘economic migrant’. These people have left their country of origin in search of paid employment because of poverty, war, civil strife etc. They enter the new country either under the umbrella of ‘refugee’ or ‘asylum seeker’ or they may be smuggled in as ‘illegal’ immigrants.

Socio-economic context

Most countries reported on shifting patterns of migration, reflecting significant differences between the 1960s/70s and the current period. Some countries, for example Ireland and Greece, have shifted from primarily being exporters of labour to receiving a large influx of foreign workers. Several of the African countries, both send and receive migrants in numbers which reflect a changing and complex domestic and regional context.

What are the causes of the shifting trends in international migrancy? The ISC will need to deal educationally with the relationship between globalisation and the changing patterns and experiences of international migrancy.

Policing Migrancy

From the country reports, it became apparent that there are a number of different actors involved in the policing of migrancy. They include:

Employers – In some countries, the laws places the responsibility on employers to check the status of workers. However, employers often refuse to take responsibility for the employment of illegal workers who they claim are not their employees but those of the recruitment agencies.

Government – Immigration policy of government is the primary tool used to define who has the right to work. Government policy reflects national economic needs, and therefore shifts and changes according to economic circumstances. When there are labour shortages in the economy, then allowances for immigration are liberalised. Many European countries now have to face the prospect of actively recruiting foreign workers.

Traffickers – Trafficking in human beings is a form of illegal activity that has grown significantly. The traffickers, often criminal gangs, promise better jobs and pay abroad. In reality, workers are forced to work against their will and are under the total control of their trafficker.

Economic location and entry into the labour market

Country reports reflected two distinct groupings of migrant workers: those workers who have managed to secure the legal right to work accompanied by all the necessary documentation and those who have not. Illegal workers are the most vulnerable to extreme exploitation, often working with no rights and no access to trade union organisation.

Unskilled migrant workers tend to be concentrated in certain economic sectors: construction, agriculture, garments, services and domestic work. For many illegal unskilled workers in some countries, the informal sector is their main entry point.

Experiences of migrants

Migrants in different countries share many of the same experiences, both in the workplace and community:

• Marginalisation and problems with social integration
• Discrimination
• Language and cultural problems.
• Racism and Xenophobia – foreigners are often blamed for crime levels
• Access to education, health, housing, social security
• Low wages, no workplace rights

Organising Migrant Workers

Due to the particular circumstances and location of migrant workers, forms of organising do not necessarily follow a traditional trade union model. Trade unions however remain central to the effective organisation and protection of migrant workers. Examples of trade union activity in relation to migrant workers include:

• In Ireland, a code of practice on tackling racism in the workplace has been developed by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and IBEC (employers' organisation). There has also been campaign to allow asylum seekers to work, supported by the unions.
• Depending on their economic location, migrant workers have joined unions, but in less organised sectors it has been more difficult (agriculture, hotels and services).
• In Portugal, African trade unionists who have migrated, are working with the UGT (Portuguese trade union federation) to organise migrant workers. The UGT has also formed a Commission for Portuguese speaking countries (which includes Africa and Brazil).
• In Sweden, a network called trade union active immigrants has been formed with help from the unions. The group takes up issues related to the law; discrimination in the workplace; runs a telephone line for questions and problems, and organises conferences and education.
• With support from the unions, the first strike in Greece of migrant workers took place in agriculture. The workers won higher wages, which are well below the minimum wage.

In countries like Angola, trade unions are not allowed in some sectors of the economy where large numbers of migrants are found. This includes the oil companies operating in the free trade zones

In some instances, trade unions have tended to have negative attitudes towards illegal, temporary workers. So new forms of organisation have been developed. For example, in Pakistan, associations of migrants have been formed in the garment and transport sector. Community based labour organisations have also been formed, with the purpose of organising around both workplace and community/social issues (for example, electricity supply, education for children etc).

An issue which emerged consistently from most country reports, concerns the role of trade unions in assisting returnee immigrants. Returnees face a range of distinct problems which require trade union intervention.

It also needs to be recognised that there is a particular role for trade unions in migrant-sending countries, and how they can link with trade unions of migrant-receiving countries. The ISC would need to deal with both aspects of organising.

Support Instruments

There are a number of UN and ILO Conventions, and EU Directives, which directly apply to migrant workers. For example, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers. How can these instruments be used to strengthen organisations of migrant workers and their campaigns?

The key educational objectives of the ISC have been defined as:

• To raise awareness of the specific issues, problems and experiences faced by migrant workers locally and internationally.
• To begin to develop appropriate strategies and policies in response to these issues in order to strengthen the organisation of migrant workers.

These objectives need to be understood in relation to the target participants. Each participating organisation works with different constituencies, and therefore the precise make-up of each local group will be different. There are however three groupings who will be targeted:

• Migrant workers in a host country
• Returnee workers in their home country
• Representatives of organisations involved with migrant workers. For example, trade unions, migrant worker associations etc.

Based on the above objectives and target participants, an ISC course outline was drafted. Following this outline, a full set of education materials will be produced by the IFWEA Project Officer.

Experience from previous ISCs has demonstrated that the role of the facilitator is extremely important in ensuring the implementation of the ISC at a local level. The role of the facilitator includes:

• Attending the international preparatory seminar and evaluation seminar
• Recruiting participants for the local group
• Convening the local group and arranging for its practical needs eg venue, transport etc
• Facilitating the ISC education programme in the local group
• Accessing the Internet and sending and downloading country reports
• Compiling a national evaluation report
• Liasing with the IFWEA Project Officer

The above responsibilities require facilitators with the following skills:

• Experience in workers' education
• Experience in organising and co-ordinating education programmes
• Internet and email skills

For the purposes of co-ordination and continuity, it is essential that participating organisations select facilitators who have the time and capacity to participate fully for the duration of the ISC. It is essential that the same facilitator participates throughout.

The project web site will include a chat page for facilitators. The purpose of this page is to provide a mechanism for facilitators to exchange information on course content and methodology, deal with common problems, and reflect on their experiences.

Institute of Vocational Training
Markou Botsari 33
18648 Draptesona-Piraeus
Greece
Phone:
Fax:
Email: savvidis@apopsi.gr

National Union of Government and Federated Workers
145-147 Henry Street
Port of Spain
Trinidad
Phone: +1868-6234591
Fax: +1868-6257756
Email: headoffice@nugfw.org.tt

Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research
141-D (Annexe), Block-2, PECHS
PO Box 8032
Karachi 75400
Pakistan
Phone: +92-2145-57009
Fax: +92-2145-57009
Email: msanwal@usa.net

UGT
Rua Buenos Aires 11
1200-Lisbon
Portugal
Phone: +351-225507944
Fax:
Email: fne@mail.telepac.pt

Workers' Education Association
Azalwood Mills
Nursery Street
Sheffield, S3 8GG
Britain
Phone: +44-1142-823484
Fax: +44-1142-823150
Email: shirleyisabel@yahoo.com