At a press conference in the European Parliament, held jointly with "December 18", a network for the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers, the Greens/EFA today urged the European Union to ratify the UN migrant workers convention.
After the press conference, Green MEP Ska Keller said:
"I support the initiative by December 18 (2) and ask all Member States to ratify the convention. Again and again we hear of migrant workers being exploited in the EU, be it in agriculture, construction or the health sector. We cannot just watch on and see how migrant workers go without pay or proper pay, and without housing and social rights. At the moment we have a utility approach, taking everything that they can give us but not giving them rights in return. This must change to a rights based approach. We will continue to bring this topic to the attention of the European Parliament and ask the Commission to pressure the Member States to sign this very crucial UN convention."
GREENS/EFA PRESS RELEASE - Brussels, 8 December 2010