Violation of migrant workers’ rights |16 April 2018

Arid reveals more cases of abuse

The Association for Rights Information and Democracy (Arid) has called on the employment department to monitor and ensure that migrant workers working in Seychelles are not subject to inhumane treatment and gross violation of human rights.

A press communiqué from Arid states that it has recorded many more cases of violation of human rights in other sectors other than in the construction industry as revealed last week.

Arid says this is an infringement of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers.

“We have observed that some migrant workers employed by security firms are also being mistreated, not getting their salaries and forced to work back to back shift without adequate time off. Some of them are being accommodated in substandard living quarters with poor hygiene and lack of basic facilities,” says the communiqué.

Arid shares the same concerns among seafarers and foreign workers on farms in the agricultural sector. There are cases whereby foreign workers on longliner fishing vessels are working in horrendous conditions without a valid contract and valid insurance.

The communiqué explains that their salaries are irregular and paid late and that some foreign workers on semi industrial boats are also getting the same problems.

“These are major infringements and contraventions to the Employment Act of Seychelles and must be addressed by the department of employment,” Arid states in its communiqué.

Arid has pointed out that it is the responsibility of the employment department to monitor and ensure compliance with the appropriate regulations but sadly the department has not been proactive and effective in that respect.

“We have been told by some of the complainants that the employment department was informed about their grievances but no appropriate actions were taken,” Arid says.

Following the increase in the number of complaints from other sectors, Arid is requesting the employment department to be more responsive to these concerns and not to limit the work of the task force to just the construction and agriculture sectors but to workers in other sectors namely, security personnel, seafarers and expatriate domestic workers.

Arid says it will intensify its routine inspections in other sectors and is calling on migrant workers to call its hotline (2521492) for any concerns or complaints.