The new standard contract agreement reached between Kuwait and the Philippines will in future prevent the Philippines embassy in Kuwait from harboring Filipino domestic helpers at its premises.
Clauses in the tripartite agreement, signed during the visit last week by a labor delegation from the Philippines with the Kuwait authorities, would put an end to the embassy sheltering runaway Filipino workers. Instead, the embassy would be obliged to report all such workers to the domestic workers’ employment department at the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), to ensure their protection and take necessary legal measures.
Other relevant clauses in the tripartite agreement include a new clause added to the fifth article and relates to the obligations of the second party, the employer, tol allow the domestic worker to own a phone and use it after working hours, provided that he/she maintains the family’s secrets and privacy in a manner consistent with public morals.
Another clause prevents the employer from assigning the domestic worker any work outside Kuwait without her consent, and if forced, the sponsor is obliged to return her to her country at his own expense. The seventh clause in the agreement also stipulates that the employer will not retain the worker’s passport and civil ID.
In addition, the minutes of the Joint Committee meeting held with the visiting Philippine delegation pledges all parties to fully comply with the standard dual and tripartite contracts and emphasizes the need for the Kuwaiti and Philippine parties not to sign contracts or other pledges other than the standard bilateral and tripartite contracts.