Govt labours hard for mobility deals with France, Holland

NEW DELHI: India is looking at clinching broader labour mobility agreements with some European nations, having signed social security agreements with many Western countries. These agreements will provide for greater flexibility in movement of labour to and from India. “We already have a wider labour mobilitiy agreement with Denmark and now similar agreements are ready to be signed with France and the Netherlands,” ministry of overseas Indian affairs secretary A Didar Singh told ET. The drafts of the agreements have already been exchanged and will be signed within the next two months.

The pacts will cover several areas such as market surveys in labour shortages, shared information on capacity building and developing joint certification standards for skilled workers. “The labour mobility agreement will cover movement of labour in both directions. With India becoming increasingly important on the global stage, there will be many more people coming to work in India as well,” Mr Singh said.

India is also working on a model framework for labour mobility with the European Union which will provide the guidelines for all future agreements with member countries.

The labour mobility partnership agreement between India and Denmark was signed last year with the aim of facilitating economic migration of workers from India to meet the growing demand for skilled and trained workers in the Danish economy and to prevent illegal migration and the smuggling of people.

The understanding provides for cooperation between the two countries on labour market expansion, employment facilitation and exchange of information, promoting direct contact between the employers in Denmark and skilled workers in India and protection and welfare of workers under the labour laws and other relevant laws of the host country.
It also provides for constitution of a joint working group of both the countries, to study employment opportunities and suggest means for enhancing cooperation between the countries.