Linda Oalican joined UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrant Workers
Damayan co-founder and former Executive Director Linda Oalican joined UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrant Workers, Felipe González Morales, for a panel discussion about the human rights challenges of migrant workers. The UN SR talked about the conditions and policies of sending and receiving countries that contributed to the vulnerability of migrant workers, and he highlighted the efforts made by sending countries to support the human rights of their migrant workers in their receiving countries.
Linda tackled the phenomenon of labor migration using the Philippine experience. She gave an overview of the push factors- deep poverty and massive unemployment that drive trafficking and pull factors that attract migrant domestic workers in receiving countries like the US. Emphasizing that the human and workers' rights of migrant domestic workers are essentially violated with the exclusions of migrant domestic workers (along with farm workers) from the federal NLRA, National Labor Relations Act (the basic human right of workers to organize for collecting bargaining); and their further exclusion from the FLSA, the Federal Labor Standards Act. Linda discussed further that the NYC Human Rights Law does not protect the human rights of undocumented migrant workers and that the NY Domestic Workers Bill of Rights does not even guarantee the basic human and labor rights of migrant workers.
Agreeing with the UNSR that globally, women migrant workers are the most vulnerable to labor and human rights abuses. Linda emphasizes that Damayan has created basic programs to serve and empower migrant workers. Damayan is also using strategies like grassroots organizing, alliances, and movement building to continue its fight against abuses in the domestic work sector. Linda highlighted that Damayan is fighting with survivors against diplomatic immunity, which leaves workers most vulnerable to exploitation and modern slavery.
In closing, Linda quoted the mantra of the immigration movement in NY, “We are here because you are there,” meaning labor migration will not end until global power brokers leave the countries of migrant workers alone and respect the basic human rights of migrant workers and all the people to live with their families in peace, dignity, and happiness.