| ‘Put off proposal to set up firm for recruiting domestic workers’ |
KUWAIT CITY, Feb 28: Several owners of domestic labor offices in Kuwait have rejected a proposal to establish a company for the recruitment of domestic laborers from abroad, as well as the construction of a shelter for them, claiming that such moves will tarnish Kuwait’s image in the international community. In a press conference Friday at the Hawthorne Hotel in Hawalli, the domestic labor office owners appealed to HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to put off the establishment of a company for the recruitment of domestic workers from other countries. They also asked the premier to strengthen the coordination between the Minister of Interior and the owners of such offices.
Lotfy Belal, one of the owners, affirmed that Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO) does not represent all the owners of domestic labor offices in Kuwait as it only covers 13 out of 450 owners. He added a delegation of the owners had earlier met with the Immigration Department head, upon the latter’s request, to review domestic labor resolutions and other related issues, which led to the formation of panels to look into the problems of the workers, particularly their contracts and parties involved, including the Minister of Interior and Social Affairs and Labor. “We have completed a detailed report but it has yet to be reviewed,” he said.
Belal also urged the minister of Foreign Affairs to stop any deals between the insurance companies and foreign embassies in Kuwait, resort to legal procedures to manage relations between the minister of Foreign Affairs and foreign embassies in the country, and protect the interests of owners of domestic offices and citizens. “The government, specifically the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor, should work on expanding the domestic labor center in Kheitan and complete the construction of a permanent shelter, which was announced earlier, to accommodate 700 expatriate laborers,” Belal opined.
Meanwhile, another owner, Jassem Al-Ali, stressed it is impractical to establish a company for the recruitment of domestic laborers from abroad under the pretext of addressing the problems of these workers, considering the alleged problems affect only around five percent of over 500,000 expatriate laborers in Kuwait. Al-Ali pointed out the domestic labor offices should be given all the requirements to improve their services, which is not possible if one company is established for hiring foreign laborers. “The domestic labor offices should not be involved in the government’s attempt to combat visa trading,” he added. Claiming that KUDLO holds negotiations with foreign embassies on its own without consulting the owners of domestic labor offices, Al-Ali argued this step has led to a remarkable increase in the costs for hiring domestic laborers. He went on to say that such negotiations have resulted in practices that defy the laws of Kuwait, such as allowing transactions between the embassies and insurance companies.
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| Posted on:
01/03/2009 |
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