Platform to help protect workers going to Gulf set up

A web platform to help protect migrant workers from abusive employment practices has been launched.

The platform, called Migrant Recruitment Advisory (MRA) will help in providing employees with peer-to-peer reviews about recruitment agencies in their country of origin and destination.

The brainchild of International Trade Union Confederation (IUTC), it has so far six countries in the platform.

Caroline Mugalla from East African Trade Union Cooperation (EAUTC) said Kenya is the first national centre for migrant workers in Africa to pilot the platform that is available in English and Swahili languages.

"It lists thousands of agencies in the countries of origin and destination and are updated regularly,'' said Mugalla.

Kenya is a country of origin, transit and destination for many migrant workers within East African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) and globally, she said.

According to Teresa Wabuko, Focal Point Labour Migration officer at Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), the platform from other functions allow the migrant workers to comment on their migration experiences, rate the agencies and learn about their rights.

''It will also help migrant workers who visit the site to make crucial choices at the time of planning for their journey to work in foreign countries based on the principle that the best advisors are other workers with similar experience,'' said Wabuko.

The users can check the rating of recruitment agencies based workers review, check their rights where they will work and ask for assistance when their rights have been violated.

Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli called for banning of recruitment agencies in the country.

Instead, he called for government to government deal in recruitment of migrant workers to the Gulf, especially the domestic workers.

Atwoli blamed the death of Kenyans in Qatar and other gulf countries on the recruitment agencies and government.