JEDDAH: At a time when the Ministry of Labor and Social Development has issued its new regulations on renting domestic workers for recruitment offices and firms, those in the sector voiced contradictory statements in this regard.
A number of them confirmed that they will return back to practice the business during the coming few weeks, while others said this is not possible because of the limited number of countries who have approved the practice, against the majority of them who refused the rental system.
Mohammad Taleb, the owner of a recruiting office in Riyadh, said all recruiting offices are getting ready to resume their activities within two weeks after the completion of renewing their licenses and documents, adding: “But the problem is that we are allowed to recruit from only one country, Bangladesh. It would be better if we had more options.”
According to Majed Al-Haqqas, spokesman for recruitment offices, the rental system did not work and has failed miserably.
“The system involves the option to retrieve the maid from the client to the company or office. But when the maid is frequently moved from one house to the other, she complains and goes on strike and refuses to work,” he explained.
He added that the work performance level of the workers from Bangladesh is very low and problematic compared to workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Uganda, especially in the case of the latter where its workers have been highly successful. However, Uganda recently decided to stop exporting its labor as a result of decisions of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. Many countries refuse to send their nationals because they consider the rental system as a kind of human trafficking.
Ali Al-Qurashi, a member in the Recruitment Committee at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry demanded the provision of more countries for the recruitment process, adding: “We can no longer work in the market after the new regulations because the Philippines rejected this system, and the scarcity of labor from Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, spokesman of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Khalid Aba Al-Khail confirmed the inspection campaigns are continuing on recruitment offices and firms to check on applications of the regulations and controls of the recruitment processes, noting that the Musaned electronic portal allows users to know the licensed recruitment offices and firms, and the nationalities and the professions available, in addition to the costs and the time needed for the arrival of the worker.
He said the ministry will take strict actions and measures against violators, and will impose and implement penalties on the fake recruitment offices and firms that promote their activities on smart devices and social networking sites.
A number of them confirmed that they will return back to practice the business during the coming few weeks, while others said this is not possible because of the limited number of countries who have approved the practice, against the majority of them who refused the rental system.
Mohammad Taleb, the owner of a recruiting office in Riyadh, said all recruiting offices are getting ready to resume their activities within two weeks after the completion of renewing their licenses and documents, adding: “But the problem is that we are allowed to recruit from only one country, Bangladesh. It would be better if we had more options.”
According to Majed Al-Haqqas, spokesman for recruitment offices, the rental system did not work and has failed miserably.
“The system involves the option to retrieve the maid from the client to the company or office. But when the maid is frequently moved from one house to the other, she complains and goes on strike and refuses to work,” he explained.
He added that the work performance level of the workers from Bangladesh is very low and problematic compared to workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Uganda, especially in the case of the latter where its workers have been highly successful. However, Uganda recently decided to stop exporting its labor as a result of decisions of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development. Many countries refuse to send their nationals because they consider the rental system as a kind of human trafficking.
Ali Al-Qurashi, a member in the Recruitment Committee at the Jeddah Chamber for Commerce and Industry demanded the provision of more countries for the recruitment process, adding: “We can no longer work in the market after the new regulations because the Philippines rejected this system, and the scarcity of labor from Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, spokesman of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Khalid Aba Al-Khail confirmed the inspection campaigns are continuing on recruitment offices and firms to check on applications of the regulations and controls of the recruitment processes, noting that the Musaned electronic portal allows users to know the licensed recruitment offices and firms, and the nationalities and the professions available, in addition to the costs and the time needed for the arrival of the worker.
He said the ministry will take strict actions and measures against violators, and will impose and implement penalties on the fake recruitment offices and firms that promote their activities on smart devices and social networking sites.
