CTSP president denounces new 'Labour Contractor' system as exploitation of migrant workers in agricultural sector

Reeaz Chuttoo, president of the Confederation of Workers of the Public and Private Sectors CTSP, states that the introduction of Labour Contractors in the agricultural sector marks a new phase in the overexploitation of foreign labor in Mauritius. He believes this system, which allows migrant workers to be employed by multiple farmers, will lead to increased precariousness and discrimination. Chuttoo argues that this measure, which would apply only to migrant workers, violates Article 16 of the Constitution by creating discrimination based on place of origin. He also suggests that the government's economic strategy relies on low-cost foreign labor as Mauritius's main competitive advantage, which he believes encourages young Mauritians to seek work abroad. Chuttoo highlights that migrant workers become entirely dependent on their employers once they obtain a work permit. If the employer informs the Passport and Immigration Office that the contract is terminated, the permit is canceled, and the worker is subject to expulsion, potentially being held at the Pointe-Jérôme detention center. This dependency, he says, prevents foreign workers from reporting abuses, with complaints rarely officially recorded by the Ministry of Labor. The CTSP president also points to numerous violations of migrant workers' rights, including non-payment of contributions to the Portable Retirement Gratuity Fund, lack of professional medical follow-up, insufficient personal protective equipment, excessiv