MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei warns against Embassy passport retention

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KUWAIT CITY, March 12: MP Omar Al-Tabtabaei said the government should resign if it cannot manage Al-Durra Company for the Recruitment and Employment of Domestic Workers. He called on the Ministry of Interior to carry out its responsibilities such as monitoring domestic labor offices and withdrawing the licenses of some offices suspected of laundering money.

He also warned the Foreign Affairs Ministry against “complying with the demands of its Philippine counterpart to keep the passports of Filipino workers at their embassy because this is a dangerous step.” He stressed the need to include a stipulation in the employment contract to prohibit domestic workers from traveling without the sponsors’ permission.

He criticized the union of domestic labor offices as it allegedly monopolizes the contracts of expatriate workers, especially the Indians. He said the union is controlled by one Kuwaiti family, since its members are from the same family.

He added some influential persons in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are requiring expatriate workers to undergo medical tests in their laboratories where the fee is very high, disclosing the fee increased from KD 15 to KD 120. A citizen who wants to hire a domestic worker shoulders this fee, he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Interior and Defense Affairs Committee approved MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei’s proposal to establish a permanent committee that will review the mechanism for issuance and renewal of driving licenses for non-Kuwaitis to ensure strict compliance with regulations.

On another issue, MP Riyadh Al-Adsani revealed the Budget and Final Accounts Committee on Monday tackled the delayed salaries of staff in the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition.

He said the Ministry of Finance assured the committee that the issue has been resolved and there will be no delay in the salaries of employees in the future. He explained the salaries were delayed due to the increase in the number of new employees this fiscal year.

By Abubakar A. Ibrahim Arab Times Staff

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