India on lookout for major global labour arrangements for skilled workers

Govt in discussion with several countries to send skilled workers

After focussing on migration and mobility pacts, the government is now increasingly eyeing agreements with developed nations to send skilled workers in the construction, farm, and manufacturing sectors. These pacts would be along the lines of the deal signed with Israel earlier this year.

Greece has approached India for sending up to 10,000 seasonal agricultural workers, while Italy has sought workers to staff municipal bodies in its emptying towns, people in the know said.

Hit by rising labour costs, and spiralling inflation, developed nations are facing a major shortage of workers and India has stepped in. This has also led to talks with nations such as South Korea, where Indian skilled and low-skilled workers have hitherto gone.

Meanwhile, the agreement signed with Israel in May, to send 42,000 Indian workers may be expanded further, they said.

While an estimated 10,000 Indian construction workers were set to be hired, this is now expected to touch 30,000 over the next few months, the Israel Builders Association (IBA) had said last week.

IBA chief executive officer (CEO) Igal Slovik may begin the 10-15 day long selection process in Delhi and Chennai from December 27, sources said.
 

They added that while state governments will be part of the screening process, it will be done through third party labour contractors.

Before the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October, there were 18,000 Indians in Israel, primarily caregivers from Kerala, employed by Israeli elders.

With the war dragging on, the country is now looking to quickly bring in foreign workers to fill up nearly 90,000 jobs which had been held by Palestinians.

However, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had last week informed Parliament that no discussion was held with Israel regarding a possible replacement of Palestinian construction workers with Indians.

Skill centres to spread benefits

But earlier this month, the Haryana government issued a notice to recruit 10,000 skilled workers for Israel. It was for job roles ranging from carpentry, iron bending, ceramic tiles, and plastering.

“The first visa and work permit will be valid until the end of the calendar year. It may be extended for additional periods of up to one year at a time to a maximum of 63 months,” the notice said.

States with a history of international migration such as Haryana, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu are keen on seizing the opportunity.

But the government wants to spread the benefits to other states and is engaging the ministry of skill development through schemes such as the Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PKVY).
 

Skill development ministry officials said going forward, candidates training at its Skill India International Centres (SIICs) will be part of the prospective hires when foreign nations seek Indian workers.

The Centre had announced the setting up of 30 SIICs in the 2023-24 Budget. They were to provide training and certification to Indian workforce keen on overseas employment in select sectors and job roles, in line with international standards.
 

Two SIICs have come up in Varanasi and Bhubaneswar to provide destination-based skilling, re-skilling, immigration assistance and post placement support.

They provide both domain skills training on international standards and pre-departure orientation training (PDOT) to candidates, officials said.

The ministry informed Parliament that 25,300 SIIC candidates have found jobs abroad between April 2022 and December 2023.

India has signed 17 agreements with various countries between January 2015 and March 2023 to facilitate movement of labour, a report by Surabhi Singh, head of the Centre for Migration, Mobility and Diaspora Studies at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi shows. Compared to this, only five such agreements had been signed between 1985 and 2014, the report shows.

Shortage in Europe

In a controversial move last week, the Greek Parliament approved an amendment to its laws that will now allow illegal migrants in the country to receive three-year residency and work permits for jobs in certain sectors. 

“It is not the easiest of choices, but there is a real shortage of workers. A better way to fill those jobs would be bilateral agreements allowing fixed-term employment to legal workers from countries like India, en masse,” a diplomatic source said.

Last year, the country had signed a similar agreement with Egypt, and is currently also eyeing workers from Vietnam and Philippines, Greek media has reported.