10-Year Stay Proposed for Foreign Workers in Mauritius

Foreign workers in Mauritius could soon be permitted to stay and work in the country for up to ten years, according to a new report from an inter-ministerial committee. The proposed changes, which also include abolishing the quota system for hiring foreign labour, were revealed by Reeaz Chutoo, president of the Confederation of Private Sector Workers (CTSP), following his review of the committee’s findings. The announcement was made during a press conference at the CTSP headquarters yesterday.

Concern Over Social Protections and Labour Rights

Chutoo expressed strong reservations about the report’s recommendations, highlighting the absence of provisions for social protection for these long-term foreign workers.

He criticized the new policy, stating, “We see a lot of demands from employers to facilitate the recruitment of foreign workers,” and urged caution.

The union leader pointed out that with the new policy, businesses with a parent company or a “Sister Company” abroad would be able to transfer their foreign workers to Mauritius.

He warned that this kind of recommendation requires “a wider debate.”

Potential Impact on Collective Bargaining

The CTSP president also raised a critical concern regarding the potential impact on collective bargaining.

He noted that as long as the ten-year contracts are in effect, trade unions will be unable to engage in collective negotiations.

As a solution, he suggested implementing sectoral negotiations, similar to those in the construction industry.

Chutoo also questioned Ashok Subron, a prominent figure in the labour movement, asking if he was the same person who had previously protested in Port Louis for the reintroduction of a quota system to address the issue of young people leaving the country.

Chutoo recalled that quotas had previously been removed from the BPO and agriculture sectors, and now their elimination across all sectors could lead to some companies being staffed entirely by foreign workers.

He also highlighted that under the proposed terms, foreign workers would be responsible for paying their own return travel costs if they chose to leave before their contracts expired.

Source: Le Mauricien