Human Rights Society sees improvement in conditions of domestic workers

A number of ministerial decisions and circulars put Kuwait on the right path in the file of migrant workers in general and domestic workers in particular.

This was confirmed by the Kuwait Society for Human Rights through its third annual report, which monitored the development achieved by Kuwait, during the first four months of this year, reports a local Arabic daily.

While the report, which was issued in cooperation with the American Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and the European Union Mission in Kuwait, praised what was achieved during the months of January, February, March and April.

It indicated that “the improvement in the conditions of domestic workers came after Ministerial Resolution No. 2022 issued in April regarding the executive regulations of Law No. 68 of 2015, regarding domestic workers obtaining an annual paid leave of at least one month after they were subject to various assessments, and that they were now able to transfer to another employer, and their overtime hours were set at two hours per day.

The report monitored the issuance of a number of different decisions and circulars, “beginning with allowing the Public Authority for Manpower to issue work permits for those who have reached the age of sixty years and above who hold a high school certificate and below or its equivalent, passing through the issuance of a circular to organize some procedures of labor recruitment offices and companies, as well as retaining the validity of the visas to enter the country to 3 months.

He also touched on “the Public Authority for Manpower and the Ministry of Interior launching a service to pay and print the electronic entry visa for civil work through the companies’ platform on the official website of the ministry, in addition to the issuance of a circular regarding (requests for final cancellation of travel – cancellation and transfer outside the sector), and the launch of a new service through the Sahel application for government transactions.

8 areas where development has been achieved
1 – Confirmation of annual paid leave of no less than one month
2 – The ability to move to another employer
3 – Limiting the overtime working hours to a maximum of two hours, with receiving a half-day wage
4 – Issuance of work permits for non-graduate expatriates 60 years and above
5 – Regulating some procedures for offices and companies recruiting domestic workers
6 – Return to work with the validity of entry visas to the country to 3 months.
7 – The service of paying and printing the electronic entry visa
8 – Inquiry about the date of the labor complaint session through the Sahel application.

6 Recommendations
1 – Establishing a psychological support and rehabilitation service for domestic workers
2 – Providing translators for domestic workers who wish to submit complaints in labor departments
3 – Training of workers in labor relations departments
4 – Take more measures to protect domestic workers who file complaints
5 – Abolishing the sponsorship system and working to establish an alternative system
6 – Accurately investigating complaints of human trafficking

8 types of complaints
1 – Not carrying identification documents
2 – Desire to leave Kuwait
3 – Retrieving passports
4 – Cancellation and transfer of residence
5 – Financial dues
6 – Late payment of salaries.
7 – Overstaying
8 – Health issues