New tool helps employers protect construction workers in the Middle East
The ILO and the International Organisation of Employers launch a new guidance tool to help construction companies in the Middle East expand protection of workers, including migrant workers who make up the vast majority of the sector’s manual labourers.
The ILO-IOE Guidance Tool for Construction Companies in the Middle East considers ways in which all workers in the supply chain – including subcontracted workers or those employed by labour supply companies – can be protected. It covers a range of practical topics including fair recruitment, protecting workers’ health and safety, ensuring reasonable labour accommodation and preventing wage delays.
The IOE is pleased to promote this valuable toolkit to Employers in the construction sector. It will assist them in better addressing protection at work, which leads to improved productivity. We believe this concise Guidance Tool can help Employers make progress towards safe workplaces."
Roberto Suarez Santos, IOE
Companies in the construction sector (including members of Building Responsibly, a global industry initiative) were integrally involved in the development of the Guidance Tool to ensure that content was relevant and practical to the sector.
The Guidance Tool is of particular use to the following groups of companies:
- large or multinational companies with global value chains; and
- small and medium-sized companies that sit within such value chains and are seeking to strengthen their own efforts towards protection at work.
Given the challenges faced when employing a large number of migrant workers, including ensuring fair recruitment, occupational safety and health and accurate and timely payment of wages, this Tool is a practical resource which can provide much-needed guidance to companies in the Middle East."
Dr Ruba Jaradat, ILO
Secretary-General of the International Organization of Employers (IOE) Roberto Suarez Santos stated: "The IOE is delighted to present this material for the use of Employers in the construction sector to assist them in better addressing protection at work. This concise Guidance Tool demonstrates that improving protection at work has a number of benefits including increased productivity and competitiveness”.
ILO Regional Director for Arab States, Dr Ruba Jaradat, added: “Given the challenges faced when employing a large number of migrant workers, including ensuring fair recruitment, occupational safety and health and accurate and timely payment of wages, this Tool is a practical resource which can provide much-needed guidance to companies in the Middle East.”
The Guidance Tool will form the basis of further engagement with construction companies in the Middle East, including collaboration with Employers’ Organizations in the region.