Fulltext - Mahidol Migration Center - Mahidol University

workers because of severe labour shortage at tremendous personal cost to migrants and theirfamilies as well as to the operating costs of their employers.7. Workers’ and Employers’ Organizations can be extremely effective in protecting migrant workers’rights, both by enforcing existing laws and policies and by working to enact increasingprotections and reaching out to peers to establish equal treatment for migrant and nationalworkers.For example, as large numbers of migrants work in manufacturing an organized response in thatsector, should effectively achieve greater protections for workers’ rights and benefits. Also, asthere is an apparent shift from manufacturing to the entertainment sector organizing/unionizingentertainment workers and mainstreaming HIV education into existing workplace services (suchas OSH) for them will most probably reduce their HIV vulnerability. This will require sustainedsocial dialogue at the sectoral level between Workers’ and Employers’ Organizations.8. Design re-integration programs that include re-training and placement help for returningmigrants.Economic stimulus packages should include provisions for employing skilled return migrants whocan greatly contribute to their home country economies. Special attention should be paid to theemployment needs of women due to their vulnerability to employment loss and HIV risk.Countries of origin should establish protective mechanisms like welfare funds, social insuranceschemes and training programmes to help migrants returning home or to relocate on site.Investment to support one migrant or mobile person impacts an estimated 3-5 family members intheir home countries.9. Engage with and support civil society organizations to monitor the health seeking behaviour ofmigrants so that they do not have to sacrifice treatment for other basic necessities for themselvesand their families.-19-