27 domestic recruiting offices closed in ’16 after complaints – 70 pct firms do not stick to labor laws

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KUWAIT CITY, Feb 11: The Domestic Workers Department shut down 27 domestic labor recruitment offices in 2016 after receiving several complaints against these offices, reports Al-Anba daily quoting a department official.

The official disclosed that 41 cases have been referred to the relevant court with regard to some of the complaints relating to salaries, termination of contracts and dismissal. The department received a total of 1,300 complaints, he added. According to the official, the department has recovered salaries owed to some domestic workers amounting to more than KD 500 million affirming KD 15,000 of which had been paid to these workers. About 2,100 domestic workers who took refuge in their respective embassies have been released; while the total number of campaigns led by Director Mohammed Al-Ajmi in all governorates reached 1,806, the official concluded.

Meanwhile, about 70 percent of local companies do not stick to labor law and deliberately violate the rights of their workers, especially in vacation allowance and indemnity, reports Al-Shahid daily. The same sources added the majority of companies force their workers to sign affidavits even before they are employed alleging they already received indemnity.

The companies get around labor law and decisions of the ministry of social affairs and labor by opening fake accounts for workers in banks in order to deposit and withdraw their salaries. They noted the companies’ attempt to cheat their workers of allowances for their annual leave, weekly holiday and official and religious holidays over and above the indemnity. They pointed to a remarkable increase in labor related cases in courts for over seven years without action.

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