15/09/2024
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15/09/2024
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The conditions for such transfer are as follows: at least one year in service with the current employer, approval of the current employer, KD50 transfer fee, and KD10 annual fee. Domestic labor affairs expert Bassam Al-Shammari has reiterated his call for the minister to extend the implementation of the resolution for two months or implement it permanently, similar to the neighboring countries.
He explained this will greatly contribute to ongoing efforts to address the severe manpower shortage and the imbalance in the local labor market, which has been going on for a long time. He said the manpower shortage, especially the professionals and craftsmen, prompted hundreds of business owners and private companies to resort to the recruitment of domestic workers.
Al- Shammari stressed the need to allow expatriate workers in all sectors to transfer between sectors without the impossible conditions. He pointed out this is one way to restore balance in the labor market, revive the market, and realize the lofty vision of transforming Kuwait into a global financial and commercial center. He cited several positive consequences of extending the domestic-to-private transfer decision; such as addressing the issue of thousands of domestic workers who escape from their sponsors to work in the private sector and limiting labor disputes that affect hundreds of workers.
Moreover, the Federation of Owners of Domestic Labor Recruitment Offices stated the resumption of recruiting new domestic workers from the Philippines. It stated that “the offices which have not previously recruited Filipino domestic workers are the only ones allowed to hire workers from Manila. Their number does not exceed four percent of the total number of local offices authorized to recruit domestic workers. The remaining 96 percent are currently completing their procedures at the Philippine Embassy to enable them to recruit workers again.”
Al-Shammari denied the statement, asserting “it is completely false and lacks credibility”; stressing there have been dozens of recruitment requests from several offices that previously recruited workers from the Philippines, contrary to the federation’s claim that the recruitment process is limited to the new offices. He expressed surprise at the lack of knowledge of those in charge of the federation of such obvious procedures that are known to everyone.
He said: In the next few weeks, the Philippine Embassy will accelerate the procedures for domestic labor recruitment offices through the approval of the initial work contracts, known as ‘job orders’. This may increase the number of applications; indicating that at present, the Philippines allows the recruitment of experienced workers only – those who previously worked in Kuwait, other Gulf states, or any other country.