Abdulaziz Al-Ali announced via Zoom that an urgent virtual conference took place on Friday. The meeting was attended by union leader Khaled Al-Dakhnan, and his Filipino counterpart. It was held to update both parties about the latest developments regarding the resumption of the recruitment of domestic workers from Manila, and to outline the steps necessary before the workers returned to Kuwait.
Al-Ali explained this meeting was a follow-up to another one between the Philippine Federation in Manila and the Undersecretary of Labor’s Ministry. They discussed the provisions in the regulation on controls and requirements for the export of labor, including the recruitment steps and necessary paperwork for local Kuwaiti office to conclude initial contracts, also known as “job order.”
Al-Ali stated that the Philippine Federation had approved the regulation on the 22nd of July. On July 23, local offices can submit job orders to the labor attache of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.
Al-Ali said that the cost of recruiting has not been finalized. He said that the Ministry of Commerce was re-evaluating the recently announced decision on set prices. According to the Philippine Federation, a decision that does not adjust the recruitment costs based on nationality may hinder the recruitment of Filipinos. The cost of recruitment is too low, according to reports, for offices in Manila. This is the cheapest country among Gulf countries.
Al-Ali stressed that local recruitment offices were fully prepared to start bringing in Filipino domestic workers. Kuwait is in desperate need of these workers because of the lack of other exporting nations that Kuwait deals with, and the void left behind by Filipino workers after the ban on recruitment. Filipino domestic workers are valued for their ability to communicate, provide quality care, have a high educational level, and be familiar with Kuwaiti traditions and customs.
The decision of the Minister of Commerce and Industry No. The price for recruiting domestic workers in Kuwait, including travel tickets, was set at 750 dinars for Asian countries, 575 dinars for African countries, and 350 dinars for the special passport provided by the sponsor. This decision has had a negative impact on the quality of workers arriving to Kuwait. The age of the workers is increasing, making them less attractive to Kuwaiti and expatriate households who prefer younger workers.
Source Arabtimes
