forWORK?Basic questions

HEALTH WORKERS

need to ASK

PSI Migration and Women HealthWorkers Project

PUBLIC SERVICE INTERNATIONAL

Migrating

PSI Migration and Women HealthWorkers Project

PUBLIC SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

PUBLIC SERVICES INTERNATIONALInternational Migration and Women Health Workers Programme45, avenue Voltaire - BP 9, 01211 Ferney Voltaire, Cedex FRANCE

www.world-psi.org/migration

Thinking of migrating?

When considering migration for the purpose of employment, one has to carefully weigh the benefits and consequences of the move.

The above diagram presents the stages in the migration cycle.

A healthcare worker considering migrating needs to understand

that migration involves a cycle beginning from decision-making to

integration into the host country, or eventual return and reintegration

into the home country.

‡1. RECRUITMENT

2. DECISION-MAKING:ACCEPT? REJECT?

3. PRE-DEPARTURE

4. DEPARTURE(FROM HOME COUNTRY)

5. ARRIVAL (IN HOST COUNTRY)

6. EMPLOYMENT

7. INTEGRATION/ RETURN & REINTEGRATION HEALTH CARE

WORKER

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‡

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‡ ‡Below are some questions which might be worth considering before

making your decision. They will also serve as a checklist for review,

before embarking on that big step.

About Public Services International

Public Services International (PSI) is the global union federation of public sector trade unions. PSI represents some 650 affiliated trade unions in about 150 countries. Together, these unions organise more than 20 million public sector workers, providing services in health and social care, central government, municipal and community services and public utilities.

An estimated 65 percent of PSI's members are women. PSI's priorities include: promotion of quality public services, trade union capacity building, defending and promoting workers' rights, and promoting equity and diversity.

PSI has a project on migration and women health workers in sixteen sending and receiving countries of migrant workers. For more information on the project, see the enclosed union contacts in participating countries, or visit: www.world-psi.org/migration.

PSI gratefully acknowledges the generous financial contributions of Abvakabo FNV, FNV Mondiaal and UNISON.

RruitmentProfessional licensing requirements and fees for professional registration

Additional qualifications or exams required

Work permit requirements (application processes, fees and possibilities

for extension)

Written details of the employment offer and contract, including salary,

hours leave, entitlements and benefits

Check salary against salary of locally recruited nurses, rates of pay,

frequency of payment, and benefits

Calculate net salary when all deductions are made (see sample

calculation below)

Income taxes

Job description (title, brief description of duties, required competencies)

Hierarchy of authority

Nurse/patient ratio

Conditions of work (rest periods, shift lengths, overtime)

Workplace safety

HIV/AIDS policy at workplace

Anti-discrimination and equal opportunities policies

Workplace violence policies and grievance procedures

Promotion opportunities

Period of trial, orientation or transition (terms and conditions including

possible wage reductions)

Skills training and workplace orientation

Cultural and community orientation in host country

Evaluation procedures

Recruitment fees or bonuses (conditions)

Pre-employment medical exams (costs)

Required language competencies (language training)

Travel assistance (to and from, home-leave, emergency travel)

Access to local/national/international trade unions

Notice requirements (termination)

Review the existing collective agreement

What are the credentials of the rruitment/ employment agency?

Legal registration to recruit

Track record of successful placements and references of

satisfied clients (ask for contact details)

Type of contracting employers (main contractor,

sub-contractor, private or public)

Fees charged

What are the credentials of the employer?Patient population (categories, numbers)

Work environment (building, patient units)

Employers’ safety record and safety policies (infection control, protective

equipment, anti-violence policies)

Financial category of the institution (public, private or both)

Financial viability of the employer (sources of revenue, bed vacancies,

budget deficits in recent years)

Personnel employed (categories, numbers, turnover)

Location of facility (safety, available day and evening transportation)

Housing (location, accommodations for family members)

Grievance procedures

Attitude towards unions

References from workers and unions (ask for the name of a local union, or

see enclosed contacts and union resources within this kit)

Existing collective agreement (ask for a copy)

What are the terms and conditions of employment?1.

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Have you drawn up a budg and developed a clear idea of how much you might expe to save each month?

Have you chked arrangements for family care in your absence?

Have you properly informed and consulted your disions with all those concerned?

Have you considered problems of language, culture and homickn?

Yourself

Family members and friends

Co-workers

Current employer

Your union or worker association

e.g. child care or elder care and other family responsibilitiesq

Have you made lans for immigration? Or rurn and reintegration?

Have you considered options for savings? How about invtment of your earnings?

Immigration options (i.e. permanent residence and citizenship)

Family reunification option (i.e. family members joining you)

In case of return, are there services available for returning migrants

in your home country?

Have you properly reviewed and fully understood your work contract before signing it?

Presence of witness

Authentication from the proper authorities

Protection clauses

Registration of the contract with mandated government agencies (e.g.

department of labour)

Ensure that you have a signed copy of the contract

Access to banking, ways to remit money, placement of savings, etc.

Pension and social security contributions, including transfer in the case

of return

Dision-making2.

Housing30%

Savings8%

Remittance20%

Miscellaneous2%

Communication (e.g. phone, internet )

10%Taxes &

Contributions15%

Food 15%

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Sample calculation

Departure 4. Pre-departure

Arrival

Do you have all the proper travel, employment and immigration documents with you?

Work permit and/or visa

In some cases, exit visa and/or other registration procedures

Work contract: is it available in a language you understand?

Travel and immigration documents

Have you informed the proper authoriti and concerned people of your arrival?

Do you have all the travel, immigration, and employment information that you need?

Check with the appropriate government agency

Contact your union for information

Ask your recruiter/employer

Cost of living (e.g. comparison in terms of ‘basket of goods’,

see sample calucation)

Climate and weather conditions

Cultural norms and religious practices

Immigration rules and procedures

Visa and permit renewal

Access to communication (e.g. calling home, phone cards,

internet access)

Basic laws in host country

Equal opportunities policies

Joining trade unions

Labour legislation

Your government’s consular services in

destination country

Your employer

Your relatives and/or friends in the receiving country

Your family and friends back home

Your country’s embassy or consular office in the receiving country

The proper regulatory bodies (e.g. work permit and licensing offices)

Your union or worker association back home

A sister union in the receiving country

Do you have acc to any pre-departure orientation or training? Who giv this training? What other pre-departure servic are available?

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Do you have acc to servic in favor of integration?

Is it poible to gain citizenship?Requirements and procedures

Support agencies (e.g. immigration lawyer)

Important documents you might need (e.g. police clearance, birth

certificate, driver’s license, family documents, employment records,

education certificates)

Language training and cultural orientation

Policies on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia, including

grievance procedures (at the workplace and in the community)

Employment Integration and/or rurn and reintegration

Are your employment conditions the same as those agreed during the rruitment and contract signing?

Are you provided with sure, comfortable and affordable housing?

Are other basic servic available and accible?

If sending remittanc back home, at servic can you use?

Are you freely allowed to join the union?

School, child care and elder care

Healthcare facilities and social services

Public transport, post office and supermarket

Migrant support activities and other networks

Channels for remitting money (e.g. bank, remittance transfer

agency, other)

Savings and investment packages

Keep contact with your union back home

Check out information on partner unions in host country

Make contact with your local union representative

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If lanning to rurn, are there servic available in your home country for rurning migrants? How about employment oortuniti? Are there incentiv for rurning migrants?

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Will you be able to rurn to health seor employment en you g back to your home country?

What other migrant suort servic are available?

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Secure a signed copy of your contract

Replacing your contract with another one, known as “contract

substitution” is unacceptable and could be illegal

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If housing is provided by the employer, but with a deduction in salary,

make sure that you were properly informed and have agreed on the terms

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In short... Not

People migrate for the presumed benefits.

However, migration can also have its perils,

especially when not considered carefully,

or with inadequate information.

It is important to obtain as much information

as you can before making your decision.

Expectations are sometimes totally different

from reality.

Try to answer the qutions before you dide.

Not

This publication is part of PSI’s Migration and Women Health Workers Project. It may be reproduced freely. PSI would appreciate acknowledgement

and confirmation for our records.

copyright Public Services International 2006BP 9. F-01211 Ferney-Voltaire Cedex France

printed by Sadag, Bellegarde - Francedesign by Marie Murphy & Christine Hoefliger - Switzerland