KUWAIT CITY Aug 3: In response to a recent circular issued by the Ethiopian Ministry of Labor, the Union of Domestic Workers Recruitment Offices in Kuwait has submitted an official protest, reports Al-Jarida daily. The circular set the monthly salaries for Addis Ababa workers arriving in Kuwait at 120 dinars for experienced women and 110 dinars for those who don’t have any experience. It also established a commission of $1,300 (approximately 400 dinars) to be paid by Kuwaiti offices for each worker. Abdulaziz Al-Ali, the Director-General and Advisor to the Union, expressed concerns over these terms, highlighting that the commission set for offices is the highest among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

In comparison, the commission in Saudi Arabia and the UAE is set at $900, and in Qatar at $1,000. Al-Ali emphasized that the current terms of the circular are impractical and jeopardize the joint bilateral efforts that resulted in a memorandum of understanding on domestic worker recruitment. Al-Ali stated that the Ethiopian Federation has promised to discuss these concerns with the Ministry of Labor in an upcoming meeting and will inform the Kuwaiti side of the outcome. He stressed that if the circular remains unchanged, it would nullify months of collaborative efforts and render the memorandum of understanding ineffective.

Furthermore, Al-Ali reiterated the union’s request to the Kuwaiti Minister of Trade and Industry, Omar Al-Omar, to reconsider Resolution No. (2/2024). This resolution sets the recruitment price for domestic workers, including travel tickets, at 750 dinars from Asian countries, 575 dinars from African countries, and 350 dinars for a special passport submitted by the sponsor. Al-Ali argued that the current resolution negatively impacts the quality of labor arriving in Kuwait, leading to dissatisfaction among Kuwaiti and expatriate families. He also noted that it incentivizes foreign offices to send workers to neighboring countries instead of Kuwait. Al-Ali urged government agencies to expand memorandums of understanding with additional countries to positively impact recruitment prices. He also stressed the importance of involving the Union in all decisions related to the recruitment and use of domestic workers, as it represents the interests of the recruitment offices.