(MENAFN- Arab Times) Labor offices have no problem with 'Al-Durra': union
KUWAIT CITY, April 7: Chairman of the Union of Domestic Labor Recruitment Offices in Kuwait Khalid Al-Dukhan has requested for reconsideration of a clause that bans domestic labor offices from rehiring domestic workers following the enactment of domestic labor law No. 68/2015, reports Al-Anba daily.
Al-Dukhan explained that denying domestic labor offices that right but exempting Al-Durra Company will increase the sufferings of the office owners.
The law has increased the cost of operation, because they will have to bear the value of the contract agreed, which may be up to two years. This is in addition to the fact that the decision violates the principle of equality and competition as enshrined in Kuwait Constitution.
Forcing a domestic labor office to return a domestic worker who was rejected by a sponsor or landlord while the contract is still valid further complicates problems.
Implication of this situation is that offices in Kuwait and the countries of origin have to pay full value of the contract to the housemaids.
The housemaids will be denied the opportunity to work in Kuwait again due to which the domestic labor offices must return them to their countries. Al-Dukhan affirmed that the domestic labor offices do not have problem with the existence of Al-Durra Company, but they are concerned about implementation of principles of equality and equal opportunity, which will serve the interests of citizens through reduction in costs.
Regarding the decision of Ministry of Commerce and Industry to set KD 990 as the highest cost for hiring domestic workers through decision No. 235/2018, Al-Dukhan urged the ministry to reconsider the decision. He explained that the situation is now tough with the ban on recruitment of workers from the Philippines.
The decision will not augur well with several countries in Asia whereby recruitment offices therein will prefer to send workers to other Gulf countries where they can get more money. It will be difficult to recruit workers from Sri Lanka, India and other Asian countries where the cost of recruitment is around KD 1,300 — KD 1,500.
However, the decision is appropriate for recruitment of African domestic workers such as from Cameroon and Ethiopia, as the cost of recruitment is relatively cheap.
Al-Dukhan commended the decision taken by Ministry of Interior to lift the ban on recruitment of Ethiopian workers to meet the market demands. He stated that Ethiopian workers were the cheapest in the market, because it never cost more than KD 250 to hire them prior to the ban.
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