The joint union is spearheaded by the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa). The group, in their complaint, highlighted grave abuses, including forced labour, wage theft, physical and psychological mistreatment and the tragic deaths of workers.
The Star reports that trade unions from seven countries were signatories to the complaint and they include the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) in Kenya, the Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) in Somalia and the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unionists (CETU) in Ethiopia.
Others include the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) in Uganda, the Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA), the Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Human rights abuse in Saudi Arabia has been documented for a while by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the overwhelming majority of the men and women who face these realities in Saudi Arabia are low-paid workers from Asia, Africa, and countries in the Middle East.
HRW’s report earlier this year exposed the exploitation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia’s construction and domestic work sectors, as well as the deadly killings of migrants and asylum seekers on the Yemen-Saudi border.
Saudi Arabia heavily relies on migrant labour, and about 80% of the private sector workforce comprises of over 6.3 million migrants. Many migrant worker’s contracts are tied to the Kafala system, which binds them to their employers
The European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (ECDHR) defines the kafala system as a relationship between foreign workers and their local sponsors, commonly known as kafeel, who typically assume the role of employers.
Currently, the kafala system is extensively used in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as they require cost-effective labour. However, there have been calls for urgent regulation of the process as most ‘sponsors’ end up abusing the process which ultimately leads to the abuse of migrant workers..
Amnesty International (AI) in a report last month, detailed the exploitation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia who were contracted to work in sites franchised by French retail giant Carrefour. AI noted that these workers were deceived by recruitment agents, made to work excessive hours, denied days off and cheated of their earnings.
“Workers thought they were opening the door to a better life but instead many were subjected to appalling exploitation and abuse. Carrefour’s inaction meant it failed to prevent this suffering, which for some contracted workers likely amounts to forced labour including human trafficking,” said Marta Schaaf, Director of Climate, Economic and Social Justice, and Corporate Accountability Programme for AI.
The African trade union in their submission noted that many African workers have lost their lives due to preventable causes, including workplace accidents, untreated illnesses and relentless mistreatment.
They also demanded for the abolition of the Kafala system, the establishment of stronger legal protections for migrant workers and the creation of a compensation fund for victims and their families.
“These practices flagrantly violate the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Under these principles, states have a duty to protect human rights and ensure that businesses respect these rights” the group added.
