“SAUDI ARABIA/UN: Labour agreement must lead to comprehensive reforms to be a game-changer for migrant workers”

Responding to the announcement of a third phase of cooperation between the partnership agreement made earlier today between the Government of Saudi Arabia and the International Labour Organization (ILO) to advance decent work reforms, Iain Byrne, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, said:

“While today’s announcement recognizes the need for labour reforms for migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, it remains unclear how comprehensive this programme will be and what impact it will have …

“Human rights groups and unions have long been demanding for a serious and far-reaching labour reform process that would put an end to the severe exploitation of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The fact that global unions filed a formal complaint against the country at the ILO on the very same day as this agreement was signed, speaks volumes …

“If this programme is to be truly transformative for migrant workers, it must among other things fully tackle the core features of the abusive kafala system that leave workers wholly dependent on their employers…

“We urge the Saudi authorities and the ILO to make all aspects of this cooperation public …