Indian Unions Push for Fair Recruitment and Rights for Care Workers in Germany

The statement backed safe, regular and rights-based labour migration, calling for migrant health and care workers to enjoy the same rights and dignity as local workers in destination countries.

For Indian health and care workers considering a job in Germany, an overseas opportunity can come with questions about recruitment costs, recognition of qualifications and where to turn if working conditions fall short of what was promised. Indian trade unions and workers' organizations have committed to closer cooperation within India and with German counterparts to help ensure that expanding migration opportunities deliver decent work, fair treatment and support throughout a worker's journey.

The commitment emerged from a roundtable organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO) under its Migrant Care project in Hyderabad on 23 July 2026. Indian central trade unions, workers' organizations and regional and international union federations discussed how countries of origin and destination can coordinate protection, with a joint statement endorsed by 21 India-based trade union and workers' organizations and three regional and global trade union federations.

Fair Recruitment Must Come Before the Journey

The statement backed safe, regular and rights-based labour migration, calling for migrant health and care workers to enjoy the same rights and dignity as local workers in destination countries. Participants identified risks that can turn an employment opportunity into an insecure situation, including misinformation, unethical recruitment, excessive recruitment costs, informal employment, difficulty getting qualifications recognized, discrimination and barriers to fundamental principles and rights at work.

Workers need reliable information before deciding to migrate, preparation before departure, representation and access to remedies during overseas employment, and continuity of rights and social protection upon returning home. The unions called for recruitment without fees charged to workers, transparent contracts, recognition of qualifications, freedom of association, and adequate social protection that can move with workers across borders. Joint monitoring involving the ILO's constituents in both origin and destination countries would help sustain protection beyond departure.

Care Workers Need a Say in Their Working Lives

Rising demand for elderly, long-term and home-based care gives particular importance to cooperation between unions, according to Sonia George, Vice President of SEWA, who highlighted the substantial share of women in the care workforce. The statement connects workers' freedom to choose the type and location of their employment with their physical and mental well-being, calling for decent wages, recognition of skills and experience, and decent working conditions in both origin and destination countries.

The Hyderabad discussions were designed to strengthen coordination among Indian unions and build support extending from India to the destination country. Contributions came from central trade unions, care-sector unions working across Indian states, Public Services International (PSI), the South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Asia Pacific. Their participation brought care-sector concerns into a shared discussion about how workers can obtain information, representation and help when problems arise.

Cross-Border Cooperation Must Reach the Workplace

The joint statement called for unions from both countries to participate actively in developing, finalizing, implementing and monitoring bilateral labour migration agreements. Yuki Otsuji, the ILO's Specialist for Workers Activities for South Asia, explained that this involvement would bring workplace experience into policy discussions, help identify emerging problems and support grievance mechanisms, giving workers' organizations a direct role in strengthening accountability through social dialogue and collective action.

Closer ties with German trade unions, supported by networks including ITUC, SARTUC and PSI and cooperation with the ILO and other partners, could connect migrant workers with representation and grievance redress across jurisdictions. The commitment places attention on whether protections agreed in policy are reflected in recruitment and everyday employment, including workers' access to collective bargaining and freedom of association, so that the promise of decent work carries through to the jobs people actually take.