Male: The International Labour Organization (ILO) today expressed a strong interest in organizing short-term, skills-oriented training programs for Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives to address labor market needs and enhance migrant welfare.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the issue was discussed during a meeting between Joni Simpson, the country director of the ILO for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, and Bangladesh High Commissioner to the Maldives, Md. Nazmul Islam. The discussion took place at the Chancery Building of the Bangladesh High Commission in Male.
The meeting aimed at strengthening cooperation among Bangladesh, the Maldives, and the ILO to safeguard the rights, dignity, and overall welfare of Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Maldives. During the talks, Simpson highlighted that the Maldives is currently experiencing a labor shortage and emphasized the importance of deploying skilled Bangladeshi workers to meet the country’s workforce demands.
Simpson reaffirmed ILO’s readiness to support grievance redress mechanisms for migrant workers and expressed interest in arranging short-term, skills-based training programs, contingent upon Bangladesh’s initiative. The High Commissioner noted that many challenges faced by Bangladeshi migrant workers cannot be effectively addressed through bilateral efforts alone, stressing the necessity for a trilateral approach involving Bangladesh, the Maldives, and the ILO.
He proposed exploring formal cooperation frameworks among the three parties to enhance coordination, protection, and support for migrant workers, particularly in skills development, fair wages, and labor rights. Both sides discussed the potential for skill-focused training programs aligned with the needs of the Maldivian labor market, as well as possible approaches to addressing minimum wage issues for Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives.
They also emphasized the importance of aligning ILO standards and policies with the labor framework of the Maldivian government to ensure comprehensive and inclusive protection for migrant workers. The meeting concluded with optimism that enhanced trilateral cooperation would contribute to promoting safe, orderly, and dignified labor migration, thereby improving the overall well-being of Bangladeshi migrant workers in the Maldives.