Genevieve Gencianos, migration programme co-ordinator for the global trade union federation Public Services International (PSI), addressed UNISON’s health conference, in Liverpool, on Monday afternoon.
Ms Gencianos (pictured above) spoke about PSI’s work to ensure decent work, quality public services and the fair and ethical recruitment of migrant health workers.
She opened by noting that, according to the World Health Organisation, by 2030 the world will face a shortage of 11.1 million health workers. This shortage will be marked by severe regional disparities.
“For example,” she said, “despite having 17% of the world’s population, Africa has only 4% of the worlds’ healthcare workers. This is a challenge of global health equity.”
No worker should pay to get a job
By 2030 the UK is forecasted to have a shortfall of about 500,000 healthcare staff.
And moving onto the effects of the recruitment crisis in the UK, Ms Gencianos said: “Unscrupulous and predatory agencies are thriving. Profiting off the desperation of migrant health and care workers. These agencies are exploiting the gaps in the system, taking advantage of weak regulation and a fragmented migration policy.
“We urgently need to align migration frameworks with labour and employment rights and enforce strong, transparent regulation to hold bad actors accountable and protect workers’ rights.”
She told conference of PSI’s work in the area: “As a global union federation, PSI is shaping key international rules on health worker migration. We have contributed to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) fair recruitment guidelines which clearly state the prohibition of recruitment fees imposed on migrant workers. No workers should pay to get a job.
“Recruitment fees, often sky high, can trap workers in modern day bonded labour. UNISON’s recent survey on migrant care workers lays this out clearly. As a member of ILO, the UK government is obligated to implement this labour standard. It must step up to completely eliminate these illegal fees on paper and in practice.
“To this effect UNISON’s campaign to scrap the employer tied care visa and shift responsibility to government is a bold and smart step to fixing a system built on inequality.”
She finished her speech telling delegates: “As we face unprecedented challenges we must stand united in solidarity within and across borders, and as we do so we must tackle the root causes that drive migration and exploitation.”
‘An integral part of the NHS family’
Earlier in the day, conference had addressed a series of motions concerning migrant workers.
Gamu Nyasoro (pictured above) of the nursing and midwifery occupational group, moved one motion calling for the improvement of conditions for internationally recruited nurses and midwives.
She told conference that migrant health workers are leaving the NHS for better-paid opportunities in other countries, saying: “We must rethink our retention strategy as a whole. It would be a mistake to take for granted the huge contribution that overseas health workers make to the NHS.”
She pointed out that many overseas nurses in the NHS do not receive core staff benefits like pensions, and also face higher levels of harassment.
Hetty Okonji, of Bedfordshire Health branch, speaking for the motion, said: “International nurses and midwives are an integral part of the NHS family. They’re now leaving the NHS, taking their valuable skills and knowledge to other countries, that have less punitive and discriminatory immigration policies.
“It’s pointless bringing international workers from abroad if we’re not prepared to retain them. It’s like pouring money down the drain.”
Two motions on improving the support provided to migrant workers followed. In the first, Carlene Brown spoke of the “exploitation, social isolation and discrimination” which migrant workers face. She argued that the union must ensure that healthcare services are not only accessible, but culturally sensitive.”
In the second motion, one speaker highlighted the fact that the care visa “places the employer in a position of power, and creates a huge imbalance that allows the worker to withdraw sponsorship. The sponsor becomes essentially a slave master and is allowed to mistreat and dispose of them without any form of regulation or accountability.”
The motions called for the service group to conduct further work developing the union’s visibility to migrant care workers and to create tailored advice for organisers in the migrant workforce.
You can read more about the kind of exploitation migrant workers are facing in a recent UNISON feature.
The article Health conference: Supporting migrant health and care workers first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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