In other words, a migrant worker is a person who either migrates within their home country or outside it to pursue work. Migrant workers usually do not have the intention to stay permanently in the country or region in which they work.
Migrant workers who work outside their home country are also called foreign workers. They may also be called expatriates or guest workers, especially when they have been sent for or invited to work in the host country before leaving the home country.
The International Labour Organisation estimated in 2014 there were 232 million international migrants worldwide who were outside their home country for at least 12 months and approximately half of them were estimated to be economically active (i.e. being employed or seeking employment). Some countries have millions of migrant workers. Some migrant workers may be illegal immigrants. Some may be slaves.
It is against this backdrop that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) recently deliberated on how to put in place a system that facilitates and regulates labour movements within the bloc.This issue took centre stage during the official opening of the meeting of SADC ministers responsible for employment and the labour sector generally which kicked off in Dar es Salaam this month.
The meeting which was preceded by a meeting of permanent secretaries and experts jotted down some proposals on what should be done to bring about a harmonious labour migration environment. The meeting was tasked to prepare policy and guideline proposals to widen the scope for employment and labour migration within the economic block.
Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan who officiated the meeting said the growth of technology has brought both positive and negative impacts, with an increase in job migration which calls for proper mechanisms for regulation.
Indeed SADC ought to come up with a strategy to facilitate movements of persons residing in member countries, how they will move and work within SADC. But also being ensured of their social benefits.
According to a report unemployment rate in the SADC region stands between nine and 11 per cent by official estimates, above the global level of 5.1 per cent, while across the world around 200 million people are jobless. In Tanzania, the 2018 National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data shows that the unemployment rate in Tanzania stood at is 9.7 per cent.
Since the adoption of the region’s labour protocol in 2014 only one member state has ratified it. The launch of the graduates’ internship programme by Tanzania was a sign of the commitment that the country has on job creation and promotion of the sector.
International Labour Organization (ILO) 2011 statistical report affirms that employment levels and labour productivity in the SADC region are generally low.
The trend is directly linked to social and human development challenges, it said, noting that gender inequality, the HIV/AIDSp pandemic, a lack of social protection and vulnerable employment all affect employment and labour progress.
Tanzania's youth unemployment rate remains a big challenge to growth and the government must address it
Among ways recommended include connecting them to the banking sector for accessing credit and engaging in agricultural production. The situation is characterized by features like imbalance between supply and demand in the labour market, along with increased employment pressures given the steady outflow of rural surplus labour to non-agricultural sectors.
It is true that most youth have no skills that are employable. Skills requirement in the labour market is not compatible with skills supply and as a result there is a considerable mismatch of skills.
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