KUWAIT CITY, Jan 19: In a sign of an impending crisis in the domestic worker sector, coinciding with the upcoming Ramadan, Bassam Al-Shammari, an expert on domestic worker affairs, revealed to that the contracts of 105,000 domestic workers are set to expire soon. This represents 25 percent of the total female workers in Kuwait, which is estimated at around 420,000. A significant portion of these workers, however, has shown no interest in renewing their contracts or continuing their employment.

Al-Shammari pointed out that there is a slow influx of new domestic workers into the country, making it likely that the crisis will worsen. He explained that there is currently a sharp increase in demand for domestic workers, but a clear shortage in supply. He attributed the lack of available workers to reduced cooperation from foreign recruitment offices, which have been deliberately cutting the requests allocated to each company and local office. This is largely due to dissatisfaction with the pricing set by the Ministry of Commerce, which is lower than the rates in other Gulf countries. Recruitment prices in those countries range from 1,200 to 1,400 dinars for Asian workers and 800 dinars for African workers, while the Ministry of Commerce has set the cost at about half of these amounts.

Al-Shammari also expressed surprise at the failure of relevant government agencies to start the recruitment process for domestic workers from Ethiopia, despite the passage of more than three months since the issuance of Decree No. 174 of 2024, which approved a Memorandum of Understanding for the employment of domestic workers between Kuwait and Addis Ababa. He stated that the slow pace of government procedures and the failure to open visa channels for Ethiopian workers have delayed their recruitment to Kuwait.

He also questioned the promises made by those in charge of the government-run Al-Durra Company for Manpower, which had promised to flood the market with domestic workers from various countries, including the Philippines, at a cost lower than the Ministry of Commerce's set prices. These promises, he argued, were unrealistic and aimed only at gaining public favor.

Al-Shammari emphasized that the solutions to the domestic worker crisis are clear and straightforward. One key solution is to accelerate the signing of memoranda of understanding with new countries that export labor, which would help address any future shortages. He also called for opening up more labor opportunities, such as daily or monthly work, to support the employment of domestic workers.

He further pointed out that there needs to be greater understanding of the unique nature of domestic workers' roles, which differ significantly from workers in other sectors. Al-Shammari advocated for a new mechanism that would speed up the resolution of labor disputes and ensure the protection of domestic workers' rights, including paid annual leave, end-of-service benefits, and weekly rest days. He stressed that the failure to recognize the specific needs of domestic workers and the attempt to treat them the same as workers in other sectors has led to numerous problems that are negatively impacting both the domestic labor market and Kuwait’s international reputation.