Foreign manpower : How Important?

The recent upheavals involving our local airline, Air Mauritius, where several flights were cancelled because of unavailability of various pilots, caused real chaos in the country and the aviation company incurred a loss of Rs 242 million, according to the Prime Minister. A high percentage of the pilots are foreigners. This situation raises the question: are we too much dependent on foreign manpower? Can this dependency put the country in a severe critical situation? Debate.

Foreign workers play an important role in the shaping of the economy of Mauritius. Due to shortage of labour in many sectors, and the issue of mismatch of skills, local enterprises are compelled to have recourse to foreign labour. However, Mauritius has also alarming concerns for unemployment. Do we really need foreign manpower? Dr Tulsidas Naraidoo argues that there is no need for foreign manpower while Ahmed Parkar disagrees with this statement.

Dr Tulsidas Naraidoo : “In certain sectors, there is no room for foreigners”

Group Resource Manager Dr Tulsidas Naraidoo explains that in certain sectors in Mauritius, there is no need for foreign manpower. “There are Mauritians settled in other countries who would like to come back and work in their native country. In some sectors like the hotel industry, there is no room for foreigners. There is no doubt that Mauritius has got experience, qualification, technical know-how and skills to meet the expectations the industry requires,” he says.

Dr Tulsidas Naraidoo argues that the Board of Investment (BOI) should do their job in a more professional manner. “We have observed that many foreigners come to Mauritius for specific jobs due to a scarcity in a certain field, but once they get an entry in our country, they take up another job. This is completely wrong. The BOI should inquire. Mauritians do have the skills to do a job just like their foreign counterparts.”

We have observed that many foreigners come to Mauritius for specific jobs due to a scarcity in a certain field, but once they get an entry in our country, they take up another job. This is completely wrong."

He further states that in the textile industry, for  example where manual workers are concerned, some workforce can be imported from different countries but for other positions like managers or supervisors, there is no need for foreign workers. For him, there are enough Mauritians who will be able to do justice to highly skilled jobs rather than hire foreigners to fill in those same positions and pay them higher wages. “Whenever foreign manpower is recruited for high positions, they are paid three times more than their Mauritian counterparts for the same job, in addition to their allowances and air tickets. This is done at the detriment of our local people who are then less motivated to work.” He adds that the issue of lack of expertise can be solved with specialisation and identification of the gap. “It is time to identify what we need and what we have. Why not sponsor Mauritians for further studies that will subsequently allow them to occupy various positions? If we adopt this strategy, we will be creating a feeling of belonging to the company and the country.”      

Referring to the recent case of the Air Mauritius pilot, he says, “I don’t agree with the fact that the pilot has hijacked the country. When we analyse the whole situation, we can conclude that there has been a poor human resource management from the beginning. The HRM should have been in a position to anticipate problems and take measures. The pilots have been voicing their complaints. Today, the image of the country has been blemished. There will be severe ramifications on this industry and the country.”

He also highlights that in any organisation, HRM is not within the four walls of the office. “HRM should be management on the move. There should be always a good communication flow from top down and bottom up. People should be allowed to talk.”

Ahmed Parkar : “Without foreign manpower, our economy can collapse”

CEO of Starknit Wear, Ahmed Parkar states that Mauritius need foreign labour in various sectors and we depend highly on these workers to make our economy grow. “In the textile industry, 50% of the labour force are foreign workers. Unfortunately, our local people are not willing to work in some sectors or to do night shifts. In such cases, there is no way out than to bring in foreign workers. We should not forget that we need foreign manpower, as they contribute immensely to our export economy.”

We need a multiple-skills set. Without good human resources, we will not have a stable economy. Half of the population of Singapore are foreigners and the same situation applies in Dubai. Everything works well there. Why not in Mauritius?"

Ahmed Parkar reveals that in the tourist industry, we are facing a predicament and in such a situation, Mauritius needs to import foreign workers, as this industry is one of our pillars. Talking about the recent incidents, he states that workers going on strike are common, whether it is local or foreign workers. “If there are strikes, there has to be a reason. In any industry, there should be collaboration and respect. There is no reason not to depend on those foreign workers. Mauritius is not a unique country who is seeking the help of foreign manpower for its economy. Without foreign manpower, our economy can collapse. Countries like Dubai and Singapore would not have flourished economically, if they hadn’t imported foreign manpower.”

Furthermore, Ahmed Parkar states that Mauritius is a country where our population is not increasing but our workforce is already decreasing because of our young professionals migrating elsewhere. “We need a multiple-skills set. Without good human resources, we will not have a stable economy. Half of the population of Singapore are foreigners and the same situation applies in Dubai. Everything works well there. Why not in Mauritius? Why are we being pessimist? The export and import of manpower is a common practice around the world.”