Recent decision by the Philippines government to impose a ban on deployment of Filipino household workers to Kuwait, has resulted in efforts by authorities to find alternate sources, including from countries such as Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Nepal.
An Ethiopian delegation is reportedly arriving in Kuwait shortly to discuss with the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) the possibilities of employing household workers from that country,
Officials at PAM also disclosed that Kuwait has not received any official communication from the Philippines with regard to the deployment ban, and that discussions were being held with the Philippine Embassy to ascertain the facts.
Talks between Kuwait and Manila remain open with regard to the return of workers from the Philippines, on the basis of clear-cut solutions that benefit both countries. Discussions on Filipino domestic workers who went on vacation returning back to their original sponsors is said to clinch on the labor office taking full responsibility for their salaries and safety.
Meanwhile, PAM said it will soon come out with new rules on hiring domestic workers so as to avoid domestic worker problems, and prevent the occurrence of incidents similar to what happened recently to Filipino maid Janelle Villavendi.
However, Kuwait remains adamant on not allowing Kuwaiti sponsors to be sued in the Philippines, or any other third country, for their actions in Kuwait. Authorities maintain that signing such a clause could lead to domestic workers registering malicious complaints against Kuwaiti sponsors, which could result in their arrest when they travel abroad.
Investigations into the death of Ms. Villavendi reveal that she had earlier filed a complaint with the labor office that brought her to Kuwait, against her employer for non-payment of salary, Unfortunately, the labor office did not inform the Philippine Embassy and instead settled the matter amicably with the employer. However, the employer continued withholding her salary and this allegedly led to the beating that resulted in her death.