Uphold the rights of migrant and immigrant workers!
Resist globalization policies, discrimination, repression and exploitation!
Statement of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)
on the occasion of the International Labor Day
1 May 2006

The International Labor Day for this year is marked by an intensifying fight of workers for their wage, job security, employment protection and rights that are seriously threatened by the unabated implementation of neoliberal globalization policies.

In this fight, migrant workers also mark their place.

In the United States today, millions of immigrant workers in over 100 major cities are marching against discrimination, exploitation and oppression encapsulated in the “Border Protection, Homeland Security, and Illegal Immigration Act” or more popularly known as HR 4437. The said act shall trample on the rights of more than 12 million undocumented immigrant workers in the US and fans the anti-migrants and anti-immigrants sentiments that the US government has been brewing as part of its “War on Terror”.

It is highly condemnable for the US government to make use of immigrants to justify its warmongering that in truth is its response to the US’ and the world’s crisis its very own globalization policies has created. Despite its resounding defeat, the US and other world superpowers continue their crusade for the approval of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements including the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) that shall gravely affect migrant’s and immigrant’s situation.

The struggle of immigrant workers in the US resonates with the fight of migrant workers in the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.

Throughout Asia and the Middle East, migrant and immigrant workers are subjected to policies that further degrade their situation, drag them to poverty, intensify their exploitation, and violate their right.

In Australia union busting slyly disguised in voluntary unionism makes vulnerable the rights of workers including immigrants. Such a move only aims to weaken the collective ranks of the working people that they use to advance the causes of workers.

Undocumented migrants are also being haunted down like criminals in Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia and Japan. For the past few years, crackdowns on undocumented migrants have been rampant with hundreds of thousands of them victimize including children of undocumented families.

Wage of foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong is still under threat with the refusal of the Hong Kong government to grant a significant wage increase despite the vaunted recovery of the HK economy. As well, underpayment remains rampant with unscrupulous agencies and employers having a field day exploiting the vulnerable situation of FDWs.

In the Middle East meanwhile, stranded and undocumented migrants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries is still on the rise with many running away from employers due to abuse and denial of their rightful wage and employment benefits. Other countries in the region are also setting their eyes against migrant workers “couched” in the policy of localization that unfairly puts the blame of unemployment problem to migrant workers.

The marches of workers around the world today are even more historic in the face of the worsening situation of all sectors of the working people. The APMM gives our salute and highest regard to the workers who are rising up and valiantly defending their rights and wellbeing.