Govt puts weight behind expat workers in Gulf

MoUs with UAE, Bahrain to make significant changes in labour laws

Repeated instances of mistreatment of Indian labourers in the Gulf countries have prompted the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MoOIA) to push these governments into reforming their labour laws.

According to Vayalar Ravi, Union minister for overseas Indian affairs, the country is on the verge of signing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the governments of the UAE and Bahrain, which will lead to significant changes in the labour laws of these countries.

"Both countries have agreed to do away with the sponsorship system of recruitment. Now instead of sponsors bringing in labour, all recruitment will be centralised," he said. The move will help to do away with employers holding the reins as far as jobs are concerned, and will also help in checking unscrupulous agents," he said.

"There have been frequent complaints that Gulf employers take away the passports and other identification papers of foreign workers as an insurance against workers running away. This puts the workers in a terrible situation where there appears to be no escape from, in many cases, terrible employers, said Ravi.

"Both the countries have agreed they will be issuing smart cards to all worker's which will be required to be kept on a workers person at all times. This will ensure that workers in untenable positions are free to leave," he added.

One of the major causes for concern regarding Indian workers in the Gulf is the situation of domestic help, especially women. There have been many complaints of brutality against them.

"We have decided that no Indian woman below the age of thirty is to be employed in the Gulf as domestic labour. Also, employers are to be available to the Indian embassy with correct addresses provided to the embassy staff. They will also be required to check in along with the Indian worker every three months to assure the embassy that she is in good health," said Ravi.

Many changes have been proposed in the Immigration Act of 1983, especially with regard to recruitment agents. "The licence period for recruitment agents is going to be made stricter and they will be required to renew their licence every year. A Cabinet note on the issue will be moved soon," said Ravi.

"Already, we have proceeded against at least 12 such agents who have been illegally recruiting people into Iraq, despite a government ban. These agents are Kochi based," he said.

Ravi is hoping that by these measures the lot of Indian workers, often an exploited lot in the Gulf countries, may improve.

"However, my appeal to all workers is not to give in to recruitment agents who take workers to the Gulf on tourist visas but to wait for a proper work permit, that is one of the main things which leads to their exploitation," he said.