Expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment adviser Asif Nazrul urged the governments of Saudi Arabia and Jordan to recruit more skilled Bangladeshi workers ahead of mega events and infrastructure projects.
He made the appeals in bilateral meetings with Abdullah Nasser Abuthnain, vice-minister of the ministry of human resources and social development of Saudi Arabia and Khaled Mahmoud Al-Bakkar, Jordanian labour minister, on the sidelines of the 7th Global Occupational Safety and Health Conference in Riyadh on Saturday, said a ministry press release on Monday.
The adviser also asked the authorities concerned to verify the employer’s capacity and work opportunities in Saudi Arabia before issuing a work visa.
He also stressed the need for signing an employment contract online before arriving in Saudi Arabia, developing special training courses for male and female workers on Saudi labour laws, labour culture and other urgent issues.
The adviser also reiterated his country’s interest in inviting the authorities of Saudi Arabia to visit the Technical Training Centres in Bangladesh and if necessary, reserving one or more training centres exclusively for training Saudi-bound workers.
He also requested the trainers of the Bangladeshi Technical Training Centres to provide special training on technical and linguistic skills in Saudi Arabia so that they can provide advanced training to Saudi-bound workers upon their return to the country.
The adviser expressed interest in implementing the integrated training programme prepared by the Saudi ministry for domestic workers from different countries.
He has laid special emphasis on providing training in the use of modern household appliances and Arabic language to female domestic workers prior to sending them to Saudi Arabia.
Asif Nazrul urged Jordan to recruit more male workers in the country’s agriculture, tourism and construction sectors from Bangladesh.Â
‘Recruit a significant number of Bangladeshi male workers in the agriculture, tourism, and construction sectors in Jordan along with skilled workers and facilitate visa procedures in this regard,’ he said during his meeting with Jordanian labour minister.
At that time, both the sides agreed to take steps to increase information exchange and cooperation programmes between the two countries.
In another meeting, OIC labour centre director general Azar Bayramov has expressed optimism about increasing labour cooperation among the OIC countries and working together to improve the living standards of workers.
Asif Nazrul led the Bangladesh delegation. Senior secretary to the ministry of expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment, Neyamat Ullah Bhuiyan and Bangladesh ambassador to Saudi Arabia M Delwar Hossain were present.
Meanwhile, Asif Nazrul urged the global community particularly ILO to play a broader role to reduce the health hazards and social risks of migrant workers employed in the undocumented and informal sectors worldwide.
He made the urge while taking part as a panel discussant at the GOSH7 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
Identifying the limitations of resources, skilled manpower and advanced technology in developing countries, Asif Nazrul said that lack of research and innovative initiatives, reluctance of influential individuals or groups to implement the laws related to occupational health and safety, as well as weakness of implementation of the laws were main challenges.
The adviser reiterated his commitment to expanding sustainable employment opportunities linking education and industry, and ensuring the occupational health and welfare of migrant workers.
