Cairo: Kuwaiti authorities have been urged to reconsider a ban on domestic workers’ transfer among employers in cases of disputes to ease labour shortages in the country, a prominent Kuwaiti labour activist has said.
“It is necessary to issue a decision in this respect and not to embrace deportation as the first step,” Bassam Al Shamiri, a specialist in domestic labour affairs, told Kuwaiti newspaper Al Anba. “This should be preceded by serious attempts to make use of workers by re-employing them. If this proves impossible, then the workers should get their full dues before they leave the country,” he added.
According to Al Shamiri, rehabilitating and bringing domestic workers back to the labour market figures out prominently as “one of important solutions” to ease shortages and stabilise the labour market in Kuwait.
“It is important to approve the proposed issuance of a final clearance, which proves that the domestic worker has obtained all his/her dues in line with the law upon departure for good or on holiday. This measure is in effect in neighbouring countries. It has proved a success for private sector and domestic workers and resulted in a 90 per cent drop in cases related to violation of workers’ financial rights, making these countries attractive to all types of workers,” he said.
In recent months, Kuwait has experienced shortages in labour in several fields due to restrictions prompted by the global COVID-19 restrictions.
