How would you feel if you worked hard but did not receive your pay? If you were forced to work in inhumane conditions and subjected to beatings and threats? Would you complain if you knew that this could reveal that you have no official status in the country you work in? And if you got the courage to report the abuse you have been experiencing, where would you turn to if you did not speak the country’s language?
In 21st century Europe, thousands of exploited workers are forced to work endless hours with no or little pay and without adequate safety equipment. Many of those exploited workers are migrants in an irregular situation. Without any official status, they are an easy pray for exploitative employers.
The EU Employers Sanctions Directive was primarily enacted to dissuade employers from recruiting migrants in an irregular situation, by providing sanctions for those who do. But it also contains provisions to protect workers. It facilitates access to justice for exploited workers and sets out workers’ rights to claim back payment of outstanding wages. Yet, it does not work as it should in practice.
Migrant workers often do not know what their rights are and where to complain. If they do complain, they still do not manage to get the compensation from their employers. And by complaining, they risk being detected, detained and deported.
Regardless of their status, workers have human rights. They should not be exposed to violence and abuse, they should not be forced to work in inhumane or dangerous conditions and they should get paid for their work.
This report shows what needs change to ensure workers’ rights are respected. From improving the complaint systems, to providing more information and ensuring irregular workers get compensated for their work, EU countries can do a lot more to protect workers from exploitative employers. It can start with small steps, for example by requiring labour inspections to focus on labour conditions and not on reporting workers’ status to immigration authorities.
Ungehisije ikiwa ungefanya kazi kwa bidii lakini usipate mshahara wako? Je, ni lazima kufanya kazi katika hali mbaya na kuwa chini ya mateso na vitisho? Je, ungepinga jambo hilo ikiwa ungejua kwamba hilo lingefunua kwamba huna hadhi rasmi katika nchi unayofanya kazi? Na ikiwa ungepata ujasiri wa kuripoti unyanyasaji ambao umekuwa ukikabili, ungeenda wapi ikiwa hauzungumzi lugha ya nchi hiyo? Katika karne ya 21 Ulaya, maelfu ya wafanyakazi wanaotumiwa vibaya wanalazimika kufanya kazi kwa masaa mengi bila malipo yoyote au kidogo na bila vifaa vya usalama vya kutosha. Wengi wa wafanyakazi hao wanaotumiwa vibaya ni wahamiaji wasio na sheria. Bila hadhi yoyote ya rasmi, wao ni mnyama rahisi kwa waajiri wanaowatumia vibaya. "Mwongozo wa EU wa adhabu kwa waajiri ulianzishwa kwa lengo la ""kuzuia waajiri kuajiri wahamiaji katika hali isiyo ya kawaida"" na ""kuweka vikwazo kwa wale wanaofanya hivyo.""" Lakini pia ina masharti ya kulinda wafanyakazi. Inasaidia kupata haki kwa wafanyakazi wanaotumiwa vibaya na inaelezea haki za wafanyakazi kudai malipo ya mshahara uliosalia. Hata hivyo, haifanyi kazi kama inavyopaswa katika mazoezi. Wafanyakazi wahamiaji mara nyingi hawajui haki zao ni zipi na ni wapi wanaweza kulalamika. Ikiwa wanalalamika, bado hawawezi kupata fidia kutoka kwa waajiri wao. Na kwa kulalamika, wanakabili hatari ya kugunduliwa, kukamatwa na kufukuzwa. Bila kujali hali yao, wafanyakazi wana haki za kibinadamu. Hawatakuwa na madhara yoyote, hawatalazimishwa kufanya kazi katika hali mbaya au hatari, na watalipwa kwa kazi yao. Ripoti hii inaonyesha nini inahitaji kubadilishwa ili kuhakikisha haki za wafanyakazi zinaheshimiwa. Kuanzia kuboresha mifumo ya malalamiko, kutoa habari zaidi na kuhakikisha wafanyakazi wasio na sheria wanapata fidia kwa kazi yao, nchi za EU zinaweza kufanya mengi zaidi kulinda wafanyakazi kutoka kwa waajiri wanaotumia vibaya. Hii inaweza kuanza na hatua ndogo, kwa mfano kwa kudai ukaguzi wa kazi kuzingatia hali za kazi na sio kuripoti hali ya wafanyakazi kwa mamlaka ya uhamiaji.