3. Given the prevalence of workers not having been paid their end-of-service benefits, re-vitalizing discussions on access to social protection is important, or at the very least, it should be ensured that these end-ofservice benefits are “ring-fenced” over the course of the worker’s service (in a separate account that the employer cannot use) and easily accessible when the worker departs. 5. Protecting the wages of migrant workers requires action on the part of countries of destination. While countries of origin will naturally want to protect their citizens through minimum reference wages, this can exacerbate the setting of wages based on nationality, and can thus lead to discrimination between different groups of migrant workers. 4. Despite the financial challenges faced by companies in the region due to the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is critical that workers’ wages are not unduly lowered. The development of non-discriminatory minimum wages that are free from gender bias is essential in this regard. The process of setting such minimum wages is also important – including consultation with workers’ and employers’ organizations; as are the institutional mechanisms to review the impact and application of the minimum wages. 6. The adoption and effective implementation of comprehensive equality and nondiscrimination policies and legislation covering all workers can also help reduce discrimination with respect to wages and promote equality of treatment between nationals and migrant workers, and in particular women migrant workers. 7