Saudi: Labour ministry plans program to protect rights of domestic workers

March 15, 2014

Ministry-of-labor

Jeddah, Mar 15: The Ministry of Labor announced plans to launch a program next week to ensure the rights of domestic workers and to ascertain the responsibilities of employers toward their employees.

The program will introduce and discuss the rights that domestic workers are entitled to receive from their employers, including health care, contract renewals, paid sick leaves and days off.

In addition, the program will also provide information on service providers, such as recruitment offices and the commission responsible for the settlement of labor disputes.

“I believe that domestic workers will benefit immensely through this program,” said Mohammad Nazmul Islam, consul general of Bangladesh. “It does not only benefit domestic workers, but will also raise awareness among sponsors of their rights over domestic workers. I hope this will be implemented as soon as possible.”

The Ministry of Labor also recently announced that their customer service center now provides services in eight different languages in order to spread a clear understanding of labor rights and make it easier to lodge complaints or report irregularities to authorities.

This service is set to serve all employees and domestic workers in the Kingdom. The ministry states that with the help of the ministry’s toll free number, workers are now able to report of any violation or mistreatment they receive from their sponsors.

Islam said that the ministry has taken up the initiative in providing customer services in eight different languages. “Not many domestic workers are able to converse in either Arabic or English. There is always a language barrier when they try explaining things to authorities.”

According to M.B.M Zarook, first secretary at the Sri Lankan Consulate in Jeddah, the Ministry of Labor has taken considerable steps to protect the rights of migrant workers compared with last year.

“I appreciate the Saudi government’s efforts and the Labor Ministry’s decision to implement such a program,” said Zarook. “Sri Lanka has already signed a memorandum of understanding for the protection of domestic workers from the island nation in the Kingdom. The agreement includes provisions that stipulate that contracts should be in a language that is understood by the worker and that the worker must be informed of what to do and whom to turn to in case of an emergency.”

According to the memorandum, workers also must be made aware of the facilities available to them, especially when it comes to health and personal safety. “They are also entitled to full health care and paid sick leave,” he said.

Zarook said that the ministry’s customer service in eight languages is highly appreciated since most domestic workers can’t speak the Arabic language. “Communicating with officers and lodging complaints will be much easier in their native language,” he said.

Ali Al-Qurashi, an investor in the recruitment sector, confirmed that there are more than a million domestic workers in the Kingdom. He said that the agreements signed between the Ministry of Labor and other countries to import workers must be balanced and guarantee the rights of the parties.

He stressed the importance of treating workers fairly, paying salaries on time and refraining from making laborers work long hours.

Comments

Keiko Derrico
 - 
Friday, 8 Apr 2016

My business partners were looking for a form a few days ago and were informed of an online platform that has 6 million forms . If others are searching for it too , here's http://pdf.ac/3oDBV0

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coastaldigest.com web desk
May 21,2020

The Tawakkalna application developed by Saudi Arabia's National Information Centre to processes requests for movement permits during the curfew to curb the spread of the virus has become a major helplnine for past few weeks. 

The application developed through the close cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) was launched on May 4.

According to Saudi Telecom Group, it handles 20,000 calls daily through the Tawakkalna platform by dedicating a call centre of 600 employees through its Contact Centre Company (CCC). 

The Tawakkalna app can be used to issue e-permits for a selected group of government and private sector employees who were exempted from the curfew, and individuals who have medical appointments as well as couriers.

Tawakkalna has features for the service of citizens and residents, for ensuring their safety and comfort that would contribute to facilitating the access of authorized persons to travel permits.

The official page about Tawakkalna on Twitter, says: “You must always keep in mind that pinpointing your exact location of residence is the only way for you to benefit from the app’s range of services and permits.”

The app will also provide the latest alerts and medical news issued by the Ministry of Health about the virus as well as about its spread, ways to prevent it and movement permits.

Tawakkalna can be used for self-disclosure for people who show signs of coronavirus infection and for requesting ambulance service and other important services for the community.

Through the app users can apply for a one-hour permit for a walk in the neighborhood on a daily basis, thereby encouraging walking during this period of lockdown.

Comments

muhammad Sheheryar
 - 
Sunday, 14 Jun 2020

sir,

 

 
i am facing problem for receiving OTP code during registration for my family. i am unable to get OTP code.

please assist. 

Abdulrazaq Yousef
 - 
Thursday, 4 Jun 2020

Entering date of birth is the big problem is the big problem of this app. 

 

Malik asif
 - 
Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Dob entering problem 

Thomas Philipose
 - 
Monday, 25 May 2020

Hi,

I am trying to register in the Tawakkalna app, but it keeps on throwing error. Any idea?

 

thanx

 

 

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News Network
January 10,2020

Dubai, Jan 10: Iran denied on Thursday that a Ukrainian airliner that crashed near Tehran had been hit by a missile, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said in a statement, according to state TV.

"All these reports are a psychological warfare against Iran. All those countries whose citizens were aboard the plane can send representatives and we urge Boeing to send its representative to join the process of investigating the black box".

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 6,2020

Dubai, July 6: In an attempt to make a comeback in the tourism sector amidst managing covid-19 crisis, Dubai is all set to welcome holiday-makers from foreign countries from July 7.

It said those entering would have to present certificates to show they had recently tested negative for the coronavirus or would undergo tests on arrival at Dubai airports.

Reassuring tourists of several comprehensive measures to prevent the transmission of the pandemic, Dubai Tourism urged global travellers to make the city that boasts world class health and safety standards "a must-visit destination."

Dubai Tourism hosted a virtual forum for stakeholders and partners to share its industry outlook ahead of the city's reopening to international tourists.

The forum, which was attended by nearly 2,000 key executives from the aviation, travel and hospitality sectors and across tourism touch-points, provided a first-hand insight into current and post-pandemic strategies that will help accelerate tourism momentum and position Dubai as a safe global destination.

Helal Saeed Almarri, director general, Dubai Tourism, said that the city has put in place a robust strategy to manage the pandemic with the key priority being to safeguard the health and well-being of citizens, residents and guests.

Dubai, which saw a 5.1 per cent in tourist traffic to 16.73 million in 2019, remains top of mind for travellers and ranks high in global Internet search rankings for tourist destinations.

Dubai Tourism has launched marketing activities designed to convey positive messages about travel in today's environment, Dubai's preparedness, high standards of quality and safety, unique experiences that await visitors and also address traveller concerns across every touch-point in their journey.

The forum highlighted the preventive measures taken so far against Covid-19 that have further elevated the UAE's standing as one of the world's safest countries. The UAE is globally ranked No.3 in testing per million of population. It was also ranked No.3 in an international survey that assessed satisfaction with governments' response to the pandemic.

Over 350 influencers were also deployed to take the Dubai story in 14 different languages to a global audience spanning 18 markets, which yielded over 21 million engagements across multiple social media platforms.

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