The webinar discussed the barriers in exploited migrant workers’ access to remedy across state-based and non-state-based grievance mechanisms, highlights good examples of remediation from the region, and provides recommendations to different actors to improve exploited migrant workers’ access to remedy.
The speakers included Natalia Ollus and Saara Haapasaari from HEUNI, Tina Davis, Dr. Davis from King Institute, and Christopher Atapattu Riddselius from ETI Sweden.
"Safety for all? Remedy for exploited migrant workers in the Nordic region project" looked into the existing grievance mechanisms in Finland, Norway and Sweden that can be used to seek redress for labour exploitation. The project analyzed the various mechanisms utilizing earlier research and interviews and look into how effective the mechanisms are based on the UNGPs’ criteria. The mapping acted as a first step to understand what mechanisms exist in the focus countries and how to make them more effective and accessible to the violated (migrant) workers.
The results of the project can be found in HEUNI Report series publication №109: "From rights on paper to rights in action"- Exploited migrant workers' access to remedy in the Baltic Sea Region by Saara Haapasaari, Tina Davis, Anni Lietonen, Natalia Ollus, Anniina Jokinen, Anna-Greta Pekkarinen and Mia Risberg.
The research demonstrates the many barriers that migrant workers face when they attempt to access remedies for labour violations, either through the criminal justice process, civil litigation, negotiations by trade unions, or corporate grievance mechanisms, and gives recommendations to improve exploited migrant workers’ access to remedy.
The project is co-funded by CBSS Project Support Facility (PSF) and CBSS CAPE III project together with the Swedish Gender Equality Agency, as well as the project partners.