MAKKAH, 15 November 2007 — Saad Al-Baddah, chairman of the National Committee for Recruitment (NCR), an affiliate of the Council of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry, warned local recruitment offices against bringing Indonesian maids into the Kingdom at higher wages sidestepping negotiations between Saudi and Indonesian authorities to settle an ongoing wage dispute.
A dispute on the recruitment of housemaids erupted several months ago after Indonesian authorities demanded a minimum monthly salary of SR800 for maids working in the Kingdom.
Describing the move as “unilateral” and “illogical,” Saudi recruitment agents said the hiring of Indonesian maids would become expensive, as agents already spend a minimum of SR2,000 in visa fees.
Al-Baddah, who has been striving to resolve the issue, said the NCR hopes to make an agreement with Indonesian authorities in two weeks. He said an Indonesian delegation would be arriving in the Kingdom next week to defuse the crisis, Al-Madinah reported.
While Saudi recruitment agencies refused to accept the demands for higher wages, the NCR proposed that a newly recruited maid would be eligible for a monthly salary of SR700, a maid with previous experience of working in the Kingdom would be eligible for SR750, and maids who renew their contracts with their sponsors would be eligible for SR800.
The NCR also demanded in its proposal that the Indonesian side should guarantee a supply of trained maids that do not run away, refuse work, or cancel contracts. “So far, we haven’t received any positive response from the other side,” Al-Baddah said, adding that the committee was acting to protect the interests of Saudi citizens.
He added that appropriate penal action would be taken against the recruiting agencies, which make agreements with their Indonesian counterparts undermining the efforts of the NRC.
“Most of the recruitment agencies are cooperating with us. The numbers of agencies that do not cooperate with us are few,” the official said.
