|
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia announced that it would soon release new regulations governing the contract and employment of its large number of foreign housemaids.
The first of its kind, they are expected to organise relations between housemaids and their employers and set up the obligations and rights of both parties.
Saudi Labour Minister, Gazi Gosaibi, made the announcement in a statement carried by the Saudi official News Agency yesterday.
Shortcomings
Observers say the currently implemented Saudi labour law has a number of shortcomings, as it does not cover many areas related to domestic workers, especially housemaids. Official figures indicate that around 20,000 housemaids arrive in the kingdom every month on employment visas. Two million of the seven million foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are domestic helpers that include housemaids.
Thousands of housemaids in the kingdom run away from their employers ever year and seek refuge at their respective embassies. Most of the maids are from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, but there are maids from a number of other countries like Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Maids leave their employers for a variety of reasons, including non-payment of wages and maltreatment by family members, according to a Saudi labour ministry official.
Earlier this year, the Philippines government started implementing new regulations for recruitment of Filipina housemaids.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) ruled that effective December 15, 2006, the salary of Filipina housemaids would not be less than $400(Dh1,468) per month. In addition to the $400 monthly pay, the Philippines government imposed conditions on Saudi employers to recruit Filipina maids.
The market middlemen, who broker the employment of runaway or illegal housemaids, is booming in Saudi Arabia amid tighter measures on visa issuance. The Saudi authorities are taking tough measures to arrest and deport runaway or illegal housemaids.
The ministry of labour has put ads in local newspapers, warning the public against employing or giving shelter to such housemaids.
No unified contract to guarantee their rights
Housemaids in Saudi Arabia are entitled to receive a minimum monthly basic salary of 400 Saudi riyals, free food, accommodation, medical coverage and a paid one-month vacation every two years. However, there is no unified contract to guarantee the maid rights.
This is one of the reasons for maids running away from their employers, labour ministry officials said.
It was observed that freelance work done by maids away from their recruited employers fetches them better salary.
|
