Young professionals on working conditions : Employees subject to desperate conditions in some sectors?

Mauritius is already experiencing a high unemployment rate and now, workers from different sectors are criticising the conditions of work, with poor salaries at the top of the list. The recent strike by school cleaners demonstrates clearly the desperate circumstances the employees are going through.  

 Fatemah Ramankhan : “Local workers are exploited on overtime”

History has witnessed the exploitation of the labour force for centuries, however, we are no longer living in the era of slavery, declares Fatemah. “The term ‘exploitation’ entails the act of treating workers erroneously for one’s benefits. It is not only about excessive labour for little money, but involves also questionable occupations such as slavery and sexual exploitation. If we do not really have to deal with these issues in Mauritius, discrimination and tyranny still exist in certain sectors.

For instance, migrant workers find themselves at the extreme end of merciless exploitation. However, local workers are not so much spared either. They are often exploited in terms of working overtime and are not paid for the extra work as per the Employment Rights Act 2008.” 

She explains that in Mauritius, most of the migrant workers come from India, Madagascar and China. “These people often work more hours than are required by law, yet they are not treated fairly in terms of wages and living conditions. For instance, many Bangladeshi workers are facing inhumane living conditions. They are not allocated an adequate place to live; the infrastructures of some buildings are on the verge of collapsing.

They have to share rooms in spite of being numerous and sometimes their basic needs are neglected, such as unhygienic washrooms. Needless to discuss for a rise in their wages, as local firms expect these workers to be very productive but cheap.” 

She believes that the government needs to enforce more regular inspections at places of work and dormitories and complaints should be registered. “This scheme can help in reducing or even eliminating exploitation that is still occurring, especially where foreign workers are concerned. Both local and migrant workers hesitate to address this issue for fear of losing their jobs and therefore, a culture of silencing continues.”

 Rajeshwar Sharma Ghoorah : “The real solution is not minimum wage”

Akshay believes that it is unfortunate that approximately 333 women employed as school cleaners end up with a monthly remuneration of Rs 1,500. “This is unacceptable since the World Bank claimed in 2017 that if an employee earns less than Rs100 daily, this implies the individual is living in absolute poverty. In addition, 48% of our population earns a monthly remuneration less than Rs15,000 and this figure is quite alarming when compared to our current cost of living. Many people would be unable to climb up the social ladder or save to become a future entrepreneur with a monthly salary of Rs 15,000.”

He adds that “several business organisations have opted for the outsourcing of certain services. The business which gets the outsource contract gives a very low remuneration to their employees while the profits are in millions. For example, according to CTSP, three private companies get Rs 72 million from the state but unfortunately, they pay their employees only Rs1,500 per month.

The real and sustainable solution is not minimum wages. We need to restructure our economic model and promote a culture of entrepreneurship, then only will the majority of our 590,000 labour force be able to enjoy a better standard of living and see an increase in their purchasing power.”

Ashna Somah : “Working conditions are tedious for women”

Ashna argues that Mauritius is booming in ICT/BPO, tourism, education, health, textiles/EPZ and finance services, amongst others, therefore heralding job creations. “Anything that puts stress on an individual indicates clear exploitation, whether it is physical, mental, emotional, financial or psychological in order to gain benefits.

Yet, International Labour Office (ILO) lays emphasis on the equal treatment, protection and rights of both local and migrant workers. The working conditions of women are tedious in the manufacturing sector (EPZ/ Textiles). In spite of working for long hours, the miserly income that they earn is an obvious sign that they are being abused. If a worker wants to reach a decent wage, he is required to increase the hours of work (overtime).” 

She further adds: “Workers from Bangladesh, China and India face severe exploitation not only in terms of being less paid, but there is the additional stress of being put in overcrowded, poorly furnished and unhygienic dormitories as well as the spectre of deportation lying over their heads.

Besides, in the tourist industry, employees may be given more responsibilities to shoulder, some have to work at odd hours and most workers are poorly paid. The situation has even worsened recently when some female school cleaners opted for a hunger strike for days.

Indeed, it is shameful that, despite labour and employment laws, and trade unions, exploitation still occurs. The solution is to introduce new employment laws and strategies for a secure working atmosphere to Mauritian workers.”

Sabiah Heerah : “The migrant workers suffer the most”

Even if the Employment Rights Act and the Employment Relations Act have been promulgated in the year 2008 in an attempt to protect the fundamental rights of workers and to protect workers against slavery and discrimination, employees are unfortunately still being victims of exploitation and harsh working conditions in certain sectors, states Sabiah.

“Over the years, Mauritian workers have gradually learned about their rights in terms of remuneration, conditions of employment such as transport, leaves, working hours and termination of employment. Therefore, the primary preys to exploitation nowadays are foreign workers.”

She says that foreign labour is easily exploited, as they have no option and are ready to accept poor working conditions. “By 2014, more than 38,000 workers mainly from Bangladesh and China were employed on the island and this figure has rapidly escalated during the past few years.

Despite government regulations and controls, there are reports of ongoing abuse of migrants. Inspections of migrant workers dormitories, unveiling of the harsh living conditions are well known. Some dormitories are over-crowded, with workers sleeping and living in pathetic conditions. The bathroom and toilet facilities are also in deplorable states and many migrants are being underpaid for long working hours. In order to decrease exploitation of these foreign workers, labor inspections are conducted on a regular basis and measures are taken to address non-compliance issues.”