7/23/2020 Migration News Wage Theft amid Pandemic Adds to Remittance Dip Claims Commission to deal with the wage theft issue,” Roula said. According to Roula, the International Claims Commission must be set up as a specialized international quasi-legal body of expedited justice to adjudicate on claims of migrant workers on an expedited basis in cases related to wage theft and other outstanding claims and to provide equitable remedies. “Cases could be received directly from migrants themselves or through entities providing support or legal representation to migrants. All pre-existing case documentations should be referred to the Claims Commissions for resolution,” Roula said. Roula added that the International Claims Commission could be administered jointly by International Labour Organisation and International Organisation for Migration, together with other relevant stakeholders. The latest ILO estimates show that working hour losses have worsened during the first half of 2020, reflecting the deteriorating situation in recent weeks, especially in developing countries. The ILO report reveals that during the first quarter of the year, an estimated 5.4 per cent of global working hours (equivalent to 155 million full-time jobs) were lost relative to the fourth quarter of 2019. “Working hour losses for the second quarter of 2020 relative to the last quarter of 2019 are estimated to reach 14.0 per cent worldwide (equivalent to 400 million full-time jobs),” the report adds. Rights as Entitlement Meanwhile, Shahidul Haque, Former Foreign Secretary, Bangladesh, said the discussion that making rights as an entitlement for migrant workers only can resolve the issues. “So far, we discussed how to govern migration. But we missed the rights angle. We should not repeat that. Additionally, we should force the countries to honour global compact on migration even if it’s a non-binding one. As they (countries) have signed it, they should honour it,” Shahidul said. While detailing the woes of Bangladeshi workers who returned penniless due to job loss from Covid-hit countries, he also endorsed the need of setting up an international claims commission to address the wage theft. According to the former foreign secretary, some 500,000 Bangladeshis have returned jobless from Covid-hit countries. While Ryszard Cholewinski, Senior Migration Specialist, ILO Regional Office for Arab States, Beirut, said that ILO can look into the possibilities of setting up a Claims Commission if trade unions and CSOs come forward, Neha Mishra, Senior Migration Specialist from Solidarity Center said that lack of https://www.migrationnewsbd.com/news/view/32331/49/Wage Theft amid Pandemic Adds to Remittance Dip?fbclid=IwAR1ghyNugeer-PkIwX37L5mJX… 4/7