Agencies snub institutional channel

The tendency of workers making their ways into greener pastures abroad through individual channel has increased sharply in recent days, putting a large number of workers into the risk of different forms of exploitations and robbing them of their professional rights. Of late, manpower agencies are opting for sending workers through individual channels - under which manpower agencies will not be institutionally involved to send workers - to avoid responsibility toward workers and lessen administrative hassles at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) to get approval of foreign jobs.

According to data compiled by DoFE, number of workers leaving for different labor destinations through individual channels has sharply risen to 7,171 during mid-Nov to mid-Dec from 4,636 recorded between mid-Oct to mid-Nov. During the period, 1,381 women left for foreign jobs through individual channel. Of the total 100,051 workers leaving for overseas jobs during the first five months of current fiscal year, 24,521 managed to get employment through individual contacts.

"Manpower agents won´t have any responsibility to the workers leaving through individual channels in case they face problems in labor destinations, as most of such workers are employed in informal sectors," Dr Ganesh Gurung, migration expert, told myrepublica.com on Sunday. He further informed that this trend would invite serious problem to workers as most of them would be deprived of their professional rights in their workplaces and agents cannot be liable for such problems.

"Most of the workers getting jobs through individual medium face different problems at their workplaces. They are vulnerable to different forms of exploitation and hosts of other problems," he added. Dr Gurung also said easy sending process under the individual channel was encouraging agents to switch from institutional channel.

A manpower agent, who is also the executive member of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), said government employees also encourage manpower agencies to follow individual channel to send workers. "Manpower agencies are also shunning institutional channel to send workers to avoid responsibility toward workers. "Because of financial benefits, DoFE employees also encourage the agencies to send workers through individual channel," the agent added. "Employees can bargain more easily with agents while sending workers under the individual channel."

Data also shows that the number of fraudulent cases involving workers leaving for foreign jobs through individual channel is higher than those leaving through institutional channels. Kashi Nath Marasini, director at DoFE, also admits that the number of Nepali workers getting overseas jobs through individual channels is on the rise. "How can we stop workers who arrange jobs through individual channels at a time when job prospect within the country is getting slimmer?" wondered Marasini. He also said increasing relation with employers through relatives in different labor destination have also increased the chance of getting jobs through individual channels.

"We can´t stop workers from going through individual channels without amending the existing Foreign Employment Act which do not bar anyone from pursuing overseas dreams through individual channel," said Marasini. He, however, denied the DoFE employees encouraging agents to send workers through individual channels.
Source:Republica