Worldwide response needed to offset Covid-19 fallouts on migrants: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for a "vigorous worldwide response" to combat the adverse impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on the migrants as she placed a three-point suggestion to this end.

"The virus does not discriminate but its adverse impacts severely discriminates against the vulnerable, especially the migrants and women workers," she told a virtual global summit of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland yesterday.

"I must say that a vigorous, well-coordinated and world-wide response with the participation of all countries, international organisations, civil society organisations and private sector is needed now," PM Hasina added.

The three point- suggestion placed by the premier at the event titled "ILO's 'Global Leaders' Day" are:

-- Jobs of migrant workers at the overseas markets must be retained during this crisis.

-- In case of lay-off, compensation and other dismissal benefits must be paid in full along with ensuring their safety and health benefits.

-- After the pandemic, these workers would have to be recruited for reactivating the economy.

Sharing Bangladesh's experiences and measures on how the country is dealing with the crisis, the premier said Bangladesh deeply appreciates all of ILO's endeavours.

"I'm happy to join this event on ILO's 'Global Leaders' Day' during the global Covid-19 pandemic that has affected our nations, especially our workers the most," she said.

Hasina said this global calamity has now threatened the very base of globalisation and connectivity carefully built over the years.

"This is no longer just a health problem but a full-fledged global economic and social crisis," the premier said.

Like many other crises, she said, the LDCs and developing countries are facing the main burden although the crisis did not start with them.

"During this pandemic, our domestic and external supply chains were severely disrupted. We lost export orders of billions of dollars, many of our industries were closed and millions of workers lost their jobs," she said.

Hasina said Bangladesh's small industries lost most of its resources and markets, and above all, its agriculture sector suffered huge loss due to supply chain disruption.

"On the back of it, we are hosting 1.1 million forcibly evicted Rohingyas from Myanmar," she said.

The PM said when the crisis of Covid-19 began to unfold, the government immediately announced a 12.1-billion-dollar stimulus package for various sectors of the country's economy as well as support to different segments of the society.

"This support package is equivalent to 3.7% of our GDP. To support our workers in export industries, we have given about 1 billion dollars for paying wages of workers," she said.

Mentioning the huge loss of jobs of Bangladeshi migrant workers and the resulting shortfall in remittance, Sheikh Hasina said it is a great concern for us as remittance is a key component to achieve the SDGs.

"Currently, repatriation of these jobless migrant workers has proved to be a huge challenge. The World Bank predicted that we will lose more than 20% of our earnings from remittance," the prime minister said.

"Under these circumstances, we may remember the Centenary Declaration of ILO where all of us recognised to transform our world through technological innovation, demographic shifts, climate change and globalisation," she added.

Hasina said UN and international organisations will be at the centre of all recovery measures to be supported by G-7, G-20, OECD and international financial institutions.

"With everything happening all around us, the promises of decent jobs for all seem hard to realise individually, but I am convinced that together, we can do it," she said.

ILO Director General Guy Ryder inaugurated the event, while UN Secretary General António Guterres, World Health Organisation Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, heads of state and government of different countries including Switzerland, South Korea, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Ireland, Fiji, Thailand, Nepal, Samoa, Pakistan, Myanmar, the DG of WTO and managing director of IMF also joined the event, among others.