India’s Labour Agreements with the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: An Assessment

Sameena Hameed

International Studies, 2021, vol. 58, issue 4, 442-465

Abstract: Despite the Indian government's proactive initiatives and reforms in the labour laws in the host countries, the welfare of Indian workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries remains compromised. The Indian workers continue to face exploitation, often left stranded or forced to return home penniless. In line with best global practices, India’s Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) and Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with all the GCC countries need to make specific reference to the host countries' labour laws and facilitate bilateral coordination in the governance of the full migration cycle. Special focus is needed in the construction sector, where a vast majority of low-skilled Indian workers are employed. The article examines the effectiveness of India’s BLAs and MoUs with the GCC countries in protecting the low-skilled Indian workers in the region.

Keywords: Construction workers; forced labour and irregular workers; GCC migrant labour laws; India’s labour agreements (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:intstu:v:58:y:2021:i:4:p:442-465

DOI: 10.1177/00208817211055344

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