Gulf countries have agreed on the provisions of a unified Gulf contract for domestic helpers , Kuwait
“The blueprint of the contract sets the daily working hours at eight, limits overtime to two hours, requires the provision of decent accommodation, and stipulates the right for days off,” Jamal Al Dosari, the director general of the public authority for workforce in Kuwait, said following the meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) labour undersecretaries in Kuwait City.
“It bans employers from keeping the passports of their employees, ensures the freedom of domestic helpers to move or live outside the home of the employer and to travel at any time. It also commits employers to provide air tickets for the helpers at the end of the contract,” Al Dosari said, quoted by Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
The single contract will take force after it is approved by the GCC labour ministers, he added on Monday.
The issue of expatriates working in the six GCC countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — has been a hot international topic, due mainly to the existence of the controversial sponsorship system.
Under the system, foreigners cannot work in the Gulf unless they are sponsored by an employer. They cannot move on to another job or leave the country without their sponsors’ approval.
Employers argued that without the “regulatory system”, their businesses would be affected as employees tend to abscond or switch jobs even though they had invested money in bringing them into the country and, quite often, training them.
However, the GCC countries have been taking new measures as a compromise between the two sides.
According to Kuna, Bahrain’s Labour Undersecretary Sabah Al Dosari called on any foreign labour organisations or human rights groups that could have any negative remarks or observations on labour-related situations to present them to the concerned GCC country or refer them to the World Labour Organisation.
“We in the GCC welcome the foreign workers and we do appreciate their contributions to the development of our countries,” he said, quoted by the news agency.
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If a company is taking care of employee, why would somebody think of sswitcing??
It's good news for all expatriate in kuwait but I plead to the government to an force the law for as i well come the news!!!!!
theres lots of agreement was been signed but most of them never been implement..
(salary, benefits, rest day, working hours & protection)
especially the one who is working in the house… i feel sorry for some of them not only filipino other nationality also.
they need extra protection from the abusive EMPLOYER…
yes u r right…. but this has bern goin on for so long…. maybe this provision of holdingd psport shld b applied to some cases… but I doubt fir domestic helpers…. they might runaway…. dyoff,,good way of leaving and goid salary is maybe enough
I already ask my employer about day off, but he answered me only "I will think of it" and I waited..but until now he not tell me if he allow us to take day off..where should we call this kind of problem?
As a domestic helper in the contract 8hrs working per day and 2 hrs ot pkus day off for me not equal bcoz for almost 6yrs being a dh herein Kuwait i did fl myself to have day off even to go in church only, my employer did not accept . But i follow her command . Mostly written in the contract are not equal to the actual/real… Hope they make revised their agreement in the contract. Maximum time i work every day 20hrs w/o overtime pay.
How ever the passport is the persons form on international ID. By law nobody has the right to hold another persons passport. I do know that there is some companies that do hold them. By international law it is not legal to hold the employees passport.
THATS THE FACT.
Its a politics. Every rule will not be followed, but be sure now basic salary for new comers wil be 120 kd.
And hoping that this is not one of an issue not a hot topic but to implement and follow of every employer.thank you kuwait uptodate!
I finish..my cntract..and i just cmeback..my employer give me 120..but im not the one to keep my passport..my employer keep..!!!!
Thats the most important question
I hope they will follow mostly Kuwaiti don't follow and also I hope they will increase the salary also because old comers its to the employers only the new comers there salary is 120 🙁 so sad
Bt I didn't that it will work bt if it's good news for getting freedom of speech
Yes! They agreed, but they dont follow, my employer sign the contract for 120kd salary, they send email to the phil. Embassy in phil that they will give my salary 120kd, but only 100 they give me, no holiday, if i go doctor my own money, i ask ur opinion
employers are right too if they said that…they paid a big amount to the agency and then the employee with his/her passport on….will just leave them….after all of what they have done (training and getting them in their respective countries)… unfair for the employers too…. there should be fair or bias procedure for that….which will benefit the employer and employee.
I think the kind of freedom imposed here depends on which GCC u r…. obviously in Saudi,,,, you can not enjoy much of your dayoff bcoz they are very strict….. and even if this law works…. ur security outside will still be onguard…..
Good news for domestic helpers bt bad news for my employer they alredy know bt stil my salary is low 80kd…
I wish it is translated to them nd they understand it clearly! Low salaries nd torture needs concern too!
We are glad thanfull and happy if this will emplement here in meadle east.
Inshallah
How if the employer did not follow the rules?where can we possible to call?
In case they refuse to follow the rules???
agencies are not explaining well to the employers what is written in the contract to be followed …. they just open their hands for the payment…
kill him
kill him
Even have a rule it's depend onto the employer if they will follow
Its impossible for the employers to follow all the regulations u provided, coz i observed we are 18 visa, we cant even try to unwind after sometimes because of the curfew:during weekdays we have 1 hour to go out from the villa and during weekends only 3 hours (4-7), its not justifiable for us to have that kind of treatment, we are working in 8hrs a day, 6days a week and dont have time to unwind, or relax., hope it will be approved and be implemented and monitored by the govt., and also our passport is not with us, and our accomodations in not that decent, in one flat 3rooms, 10persons; tsk tsk tsk, please do thorough investigations., thank you, and Godbless
Its impossible for the employers to follow all the regulations u provided, coz i observed we are 18 visa, we cant even try to unwind after sometimes because of the curfew:during weekdays we have 1 hour to go out from the villa and during weekends only 3 hours (4-7), its not justifiable for us to have that kind of treatment, we are working in 8hrs a day, 6days a week and dont have time to unwind, or relax., hope it will be approved and be implemented and monitored by the govt., and also our passport is not with us, and our accomodations in not that decent, in one flat 3rooms, 10persons; tsk tsk tsk, please do thorough investigations., thank you, and Godbless
… how we hope we all foreign workers can exercise those labor laws … because as of now we think we are unheard by the so called " freedom " in any aspects ( salary, overtime, cancel off and holiday pay, claimant of indemnity, air ticket was paid by us if price was above the employers ticket budget, hour schedule during ramadan ) …
hope to be implemented to all workers
… how we hope we all foreign workers can exercise those labor laws … because as of now we think we are unheard by the so called " freedom " in any aspects ( salary, overtime, cancel off and holiday pay, claimant of indemnity, air ticket was paid by us if price was above the employers ticket budget, hour schedule during ramadan ) …
hope to be implemented to all workers
what if my employer will refuse such new rules
?
well that is good news…. if employers will follow…. still a question for the transferring of visa esp those with visa20.
Good job
They agreed for all the conditions but most of the condition written in the said blueprint contract never been inplemented….
so sad… KUNA & LABOR MINISTRY must join force to find a way to make sure that every single Employer will follow the said contract & they have to concentrate as well with the protection & rights of each individual workers in their country..
Can we also request an assistance to the salary?for new filipino comer receives 120kd salary but for long time working they received 90 or 80kd only,can they also follow the rules and system of salary for new and old workers?thank u
It's good for domestic labor