RIYADH, 27 May 2004 — In a move to protect the rights of domestic workers, especially housemaids, the Ministry of Labor has imposed tighter restrictions on the issuance of visas to Saudi employers who harass their staff.
“The Ministry of Labor has decided not to issue visas for domestic helpers to a number of Saudi employers who have violated local regulations and contractual obligations,” said Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, deputy minister of labor. “The violations include withholding salaries, maltreatment and physical abuse.”
“Employers with a track record of harassing their staff will not be issued new recruitment visas unless they sign an agreement with the ministry, which states that in future they will abide by all the regulations,” said Al-Zamil.
A ministry official said similar measures were in place before but never enforced. This renewed effort by the ministry to penalize abusive employers was welcomed by many diplomats from South Asian countries.
The official said the Ministry of Labor is in contact with the Ministry of Social Affairs and other agencies to build a list of violating employers. The ministry will blacklist all sponsors involved in cases of harassment.
“A first-time violator will have his name entered into a central computer system and then he will have to sign an agreement with a clause ensuring full protection to workers,” said the official. “If the offense is repeated, the employer will be disqualified from applying for any more visas,” he said.
Welcoming the ministry’s move, Sri Lankan Ambassador Ibrahim Sahib Ansar said: “This new regulation will benefit both employees and employers. It will substantially reduce the number of harassment cases and provide a solution to the growing problem of runaway workers.”
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh regularly receives complaints from their nationals related to non-payment of wages, maltreatment, verbal and physical abuse. Every month, the embassy repatriates around 125 housemaids who have run away from their employers or are rescued.
Alberto Abalayan, labor attaché at the Philippine Embassy, said: “The ministry’s initiative shows the concern of the Saudi government for expatriate workers. The move is in line with the Philippine government’s efforts to provide protection for our workers.” In the Kingdom, maids and nurses constitute nearly 20 percent of the total 850,000 Filipino work force. “The Philippine chancery receives 10 requests for assistance daily,” Abalayan added.
The information officer at the Indonesian Embassy, Djoko Santosa, was hopeful that the ministry’s decision to blacklist sponsors would help improve the quality of life for domestic workers.
