Middle East: Potential Labour Export Market

 

However, the massive sending of labourers to this market could trigger a negative impact if Vietnamese manpower exporters are unable to effectively manage Vietnamese labourers in foreign countries.

 

Although the Middle East market has been open for Vietnamese labourers for many years, it still needs a large volume of foreign labourers. According to the Overseas Labour Management Department, Vietnam has so far sent more than 10,000 labourers to the Middle East, mainly to Qatar and UAE. In recent years, demand for foreign labour in these countries has continually risen.

 

Grasping the chance for expansion in this potential market, Labour Overseas Development Joint Stock Company (LOD) under the Ministry of Transport has cooperated with trade unions of the transport and communication sector to create favourable conditions in terms of expenses and policies for Vietnamese labourers working in the Middle East. Ms Phan Thi Thanh Ba, Deputy General Director of LOD, said, there are two reasons the company built this programme. First, the lives and careers of many workers in the transport and communication sector are very difficult. Second, LOD wants to support the programme reducing unemployment and poverty in the transport sector. Therefore, LOD and the standing committee of the transport sector trade unions advocate policies easing expenses for transport and construction sector employees and their families in Qatar, where many Vietnamese construction workers are. Particularly, labourers working abroad under this programme will receive assistance from LOD including all expenses of foreign language study, vocational education, housing fees during study, and partial travel fees. However, welders, excavator drivers and bulldozer drivers have to bear training fees, while foremen, engineers and interpreters are granted management fees (equal to one-month salary) and enjoy social insurance.

 

With a large demand for human resources, especially skilled labourers and construction workers, the Middle East is a job creator for Vietnamese labourers.