Migrant workers in Malaysia's fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture sectors will have increased access to comprehensive information and support services through a new Migrant Worker Resource Centre (MRC) located in Port Klang.
The National Union of Seafarers Peninsular Malaysia (NUSPM) will manage the new MRC, working in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme funded by the European Union (EU). The Centre will provide direct assistance to migrant workers, including information on safe migration, labour rights and occupational safety and health; legal assistance services to increase access to redress; training of migrant leaders on worker organizing and expanding the knowledge base on migrant working conditions.
Migrant workers play a critical role in Malaysia's blue economy, making an important contribution to the country's economic prosperity and food security through filling labour market needs. However, many migrants face significant barriers to accessing information and services for protection of their labour rights and occupational safety and health during their employment. The new MRC will help to fill this key gap in support, leveraging the trusting relationship that NUSPM has established with migrant workers in Malaysia through many years of providing assistance.
"The contribution of migrant workers is essential to the growth of Malaysia's fishing and seafood industry. We are very pleased to support the work of front-line organizations in these sectors, who are delivering critical information and services to migrant workers. Through this direct assistance, migrant workers will be better equipped to migrate safely into conditions of decent work, while reducing the risk of labour exploitation and abuse. This initiative also reflects the strong partnership between the EU and Malaysia in promoting sustainable corporate practices and due diligence, with the fish and seafood supply chain serving as an important example of how these principles can be advanced in practice to strengthen industry resilience." said Audrey-Anne Rochelemagne, EU Deputy Head of Cooperation for Malaysia and Thailand.
To ensure that targeted and effective assistance is delivered, the MRC will carry out outreach activities in Selangor and Perak, key areas employing migrant workers in the fish and seafood supply chain. Through on-site visits, community engagement sessions and partnerships with local stakeholders, the MRC will reach migrant workers who might otherwise struggle to access support, including those working in hard-to-reach locations such as fishing vessels, aquaculture farms and seafood processing factories.
"Migrant Worker Resource Centres play a key role in providing individualized and responsive support services to migrant workers and their families in Malaysia. This new Centre will build on the success of the existing network of civil society and trade union service providers delivering assistance, while responding to the specific needs of migrant workers employed in the fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture sectors," said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.
The launch of the MRC reflects a growing recognition among government, trade union, employer and civil society stakeholders in Malaysia that protection of the labour rights of migrant workers is vital to ensuring a robust and sustainable blue economy in Malaysia. By providing a trusted and accessible point of contact for seeking assistance, the MRC will help to reduce the vulnerability of workers to labour abuses and support more responsible business practices in the industry - increasingly seen as a basic requirement for international trade in fish and seafood products.
"We are very pleased to expand our services to migrant fishing, seafood processing and aquacultural workers under this partnership with the ILO. With our extensive experience in advocacy for the protection of labour rights and better working conditions in the maritime sector, NUSPM is uniquely positioned to engage directly with migrant workers. Leveraging its established networks, institutional knowledge and credibility in local fishing communities, NUSPM will empower migrant workers to better understand and exercise their labour rights," said Ikmal Azam Thanaraj Abdullah, Executive Secretary of NUSPM.
Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia: Safe Migration for Decent Work in the Blue Economy is a regional initiative funded by the EU. The ILO implements the programme in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with the overall objective of promoting safe migration and decent work for a sustainable fish and seafood supply chain in South-East Asia. The programme addresses the specific vulnerabilities that migrant workers face in these sectors, as well as the risks they encounter during the labour migration process, which can lead to decent work deficits, labour rights abuses and forced labour.
