PAM, KUDLO discuss recruitment of new domestic workers through ‘Belsalamah’
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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 26: The Department for Organizing Domestic Labor Recruitment at the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) recently met with Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO) in view of the Cabinet’s recent announcement to allow the recruitment of new domestic workers as part of the domestic labor return plan through ‘Belsalamah’ platform, reports Al-Jarida daily quoting KUDLO Chairman Khaled Al-Dakhnan. Speaking to the daily, Al-Dakhnan revealed that they discussed several topics related to resumption of the recruitment of new domestic workers and the difficulties that domestic labor offices are currently facing, especially in light of the current health situation – the continuous spread and mutation of coronavirus.
He said the union proposed reduction of quarantine period for arriving workers from 14 days to five days, considering the workers are required to undergo three PCR tests before and upon arrival in the country to ensure they are free from the virus. He added this procedure will reduce the cost of recruiting domestic workers for citizens and expatriates who want to hire such workers.
He affirmed the recruitment fees are specified in accordance with the decision of the Ministry of Commerce as follows: KD 990 for one single worker, in addition to KD 490 for the platform and quarantine of workers from the Philippines, while the additional fee is KD 390 for workers from India. He disclosed the union also demanded for review of air ticket prices, particularly since the entire recruitment cost is taken from the pockets of citizens and expatriates who want to hire domestic workers and the ticket price is included in the recruitment cost.
He said the union stressed the need for the concerned government agencies to quickly take action to ensure there is enough room for the recruitment of domestic workers from several countries, instead of limiting it to two or three countries.
He pointed out this will increase supply and reduce the recruitment cost specified by the Ministry of Commerce (KD 990), in addition to reducing the monthly salary of workers from KD120 to KD 80. He added that “lack of cooperation between government agencies resulted in the severe shortage of domestic manpower that the country is currently witnessing. It also delayed the memorandum of understanding for the recruitment of Ethiopian domestic workers, which has been locked in the drawers for months now.”
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