SAARC must force Gulf nations to treat workers better

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New York, Dec 18 (IANS) SAARC countries should leverage their collective bargaining power to seek greater protection for their nationals working in the Gulf countries, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. The US-based rights body said this in a letter to the secretary general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, which is made up of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A SAARC regional protection initiative could significantly enhance the living and working conditions of workers in low-paid sectors from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh who routinely face violations of international labour standards and human rights law in the six Gulf states, Human Rights Watch said. The six Gulf Cooperation Council countries are Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

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