Solution bleak to the never-ending issue of domestic workers

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25: It appears that the issue of domestic worker shortage is spiraling out of control as no light is seen at the end of the tunnel, and to make matters worse, the government of Sri Lanka is said to have issued a circular through the Association of Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Agencies

The circular stipulates 600 dinars as the minimum recruitment cost for Sri Lankan workers, with only 50 percent of this amount eligible for refund if the worker escapes or refuses to work with the employer during the initial 6-month probation period.

Bassam Al-Shammari, an expert in domestic worker affairs, expressed apprehension to Al-Jarida, highlighting that the specified minimum recruitment cost of 600 dinars is for workers aged 45 and above, while those between 21 and 45 years old face a minimum recruitment cost of 700 dinars.

Al-Shammari emphasized the additional expenses incurred by local offices after the worker arrives in Kuwait, bringing the total cost to approximately 780 dinars. The absence of an adequate profit margin renders recruitment financially unsustainable.

Confirming its earlier report published on January 10 under the title ‘Domestic Worker Crisis with the Approach of Ramadan,’ Sri Lankan domestic worker export offices had advised their Kuwaiti counterparts to temporarily halt new worker exports.

This pause is to await the completion of the study on the Minister of Trade and Industry’s decision (2/2024), which capped the maximum recruitment price, inclusive of the travel ticket, at 750 dinars for workers with experience or new contracts.

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