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Ministry Set To Issue Unified Labor Contract For All Expats
Ministry Set To Issue Unified Labor Contract For All Expats
50 Articles Added To Domestics Law
KUWAIT CITY, April 23: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is on the verge of issuing a unified labor contract for all expatriate workers, says Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and State Minister for Development and Planning Affairs Hind Al-Subaih.

The minister made the statement on the sidelines of the Arab Labor Conference. She explained the articles and chapters of the contract are already in the Labor Law, stating it stipulates rights and responsibilities of workers, as well as their salaries and other relevant procedures. She said the ministry has benefitted from some procedures taken in Egypt, especially in areas concerning the publication of the names of erring companies and their owners in the official gazette in line with the law.

She affirmed the ministry is keen on implementing the law properly to stop the irregularities in companies suspected of involvement in human trafficking. She revealed there is an agreement to open a new opportunity for Sudanese workers through discussion with the minister of labor in Khartoum.

She said they will specify the name of the company, authority or employer under which the employee will work. She also commended deliberations on protection of expatriates’ rights at the conference. In a related development, the Public Authority for Manpower has agreed with the Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) to exempt lawyers from the decision not to accept applications for social allowance from private institutions unless their existence is verified. Sources said the lawyers are allowed to file their applications at the MGRP until the Fatwa and Legislation Department announces its decision on their petition for exemption.

Evidence
The authority had previously asked the MGRP not to accept applications from the private sector concerning payment of the social allowance until they provide evidence that they are registered with the authority.

This was done to ensure that the registered company actually exists and the applicant is practicing the specified vocation. MP Khalil Al-Saleh has affirmed that 50 new articles have been added to the Housemaid Law which are aimed for the protection of the sponsor, the housemaid and the owner of the domestic workers bureau, adding that it will also protect the country’s international image, reports Al-Khaleej weekly. He explained that the current law does not protect the sponsor in case the housemaid runs away, and the sponsor has to pay for bringing another housemaid including the ticket fare. The amendments to the law will ensure that the office will compensate the sponsor while the guarantee period has been increased to two years. Al-Saleh further explained that the duties of the housemaid will be clearly specified in the contract along with the salary payment method.

The housemaid will have the right to file a case without paying any fees. A center will be established for new housemaids and another for solving the problems of domestic workers. He affirmed that the new amendments will allow the housemaid to transfer only through Ministry of Interior in order to ban the phenomenon of human trafficking, adding that penalties for violation of the law will include withdrawing the license of domestic workers’ bureau and deporting expatriates who shelter runaway housemaids.

Meanwhile, MP Kamel Al- Awadhi will meet with officials from the American Embassy in Kuwait after receiving a request from the embassy for clarifications regarding the proposal that he and a number of other MPs had presented for establishing a company to bring housemaids in the country, reports Al-Anba daily quoting informed sources.


Source:arabtimesonline



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