RIYADH, Dec 22: Discussions are under way within the GCC to reduce the number of foreign labour in the region. Also concerns have been expressed that in case the foreign labour stays for a longer period in GCC states
, they may be entitled to equal rights with the locals under international treaties.
This has propelled the regional governments to think for alternatives A strategy to locate this problem came up for discussion in recent GCC summit in Manama. One proposal from Bahrain recommends a five-year limit for expatriate workers.
The GCC Supreme Council mandated the labour ministers to draft a joint plan to deal with the issue, the Bahraini Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak al Khalifa told the press after the summit.
The issue was included in the Manama Declaration as migrant workers have a big impact on the GCC's demographics and social structure. "In the past, each member country was dealing with the issue in its own way," Shaikh Mohammed told journalists. "It is now time to collectively work out a strategy. We hope a formula could be reached by next year."
GCC Secretary General Abdulrahman Attiya said the proposal was first presented by the Bahrain's King Hamad during the consultation summit held in Jeddah in May this year.
Based on the proposal, GCC Labour Ministers met in June on the fringes of the International Labour Organisation conference and again in October in Kuwait. After the meeting, a proposal was drafted and a sub-committee was set up to review it further before it was discussed in the Manama summit.
"The migrant workers' issue will now be on our regular agenda as I it is very important to our region," said Mr Attiya. The Gulf labour market has 12 million expatriate workers, and the number is expected to increase to 18 million in 10 years, said Labour and Social Affairs Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi.
The expatriate workforce is expected to grow by five per cent, or by about 600,000 people, annually. "Ours is just a proposal to limit expatriates' stay in the Gulf to five years," Dr Al Alawi said.
"Details like whether it should include all categories of workers have yet to be worked out. "The proposal is not to get rid of the expatriates from the Gulf. No Gulf country can afford to do that. The Gulf states will require the presence of expatriates for a very long time. We all appreciate their contributions to the development of our region."
The GCC Summit held in Abu Dhabi in December 1998 approved a document titled 'The General Framework of the Population Strategy for the GCC Countries'. The document was prepared by the GCC ministerial committee on planning and development.
It calls for an appropriate population structure by means of efficient organisation of recruitment of foreign workers and through training and development of human resources and the national cadre.
The GCC states have made major strides in the field of economic and social development, says the document. "However, this pattern of development has heavily depended on immigrant workforce," it adds.
"The time has now arrived for the GCC states to make a shift towards a changed pattern of development, a pattern that is dependent on the Gulf workforce. "That can be achieved only through implementing a population strategy, which aims among other things at honouring the role of the GCC citizen in the process of sustainable development."
The main goal of the population strategy is to strike a balance between the population structure and the composition of the workforce and a demographic balance between population growth and available resources.
The strategy also envisages accomplishing balanced inter-regional development in order to limit internal migration to cities and develop the human capital by providing health and social care, education and training at appropriate levels.
