GOK ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF NEW MAID CONTRACTS

UNCLAS KUWAIT 003603 SIPDIS FOR G/TIP, NEA/ARPI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KCRM KU SUBJECT: GOK ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF NEW MAID CONTRACTS REF: A. KUWAIT 2588 ¶B. KUWAIT 3532 ¶C. KUWAIT 3158 ¶1. The Ministry of Interior (MOI),the entity responsible for domestic workers, officially announced the details of a new contract between domestic servants, sponsoring employers and recruitment agencies, scheduled to take effect October 1. All Kuwaiti newspapers gave first page or other prominent coverage to the new rules. Post had obtained an early copy of the contract, originally reported July 17 in ref C, which would stipulate that sponsoring employers should provide expatriate servants in Kuwait, an estimated 450,000, the following benefits: -Appropriate accommodation, food, clothing and medical treatment; -On time salary payment at the end of the month; -Three breaks per day in addition to sleep time; -No salary deduction to recuperate recruitment costs; -One month of paid leave per year; -Repatriation of human remains in case of death and indemnity of two months' salary to survivors. Servants would need to present the signed contract to the Kuwaiti embassy in their home countries for validation before receiving a visa to travel. ¶2. The new contract, outlined by MOI Assistant Undersecretary Major General Thabet Al-Muhanna in local dailies August 13 as part of an on-going public awareness campaign, would provide protections to sponsors as well. Agencies would be obligated to refund recruitment costs should the maid's information in the contract, such as skills and disabilities, be incorrect. Sponsors would have six months to return the domestic employee to the agency in case of misrepresentation after consultation with the MOI's Domestic Helpers Department. Al-Muhanna reported that the MOI has revoked the licenses of 163 agencies for violating regulations, bringing the total down to 465 officially sanctioned recruitment offices. ********************************************* Visit Embassy Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website ********************************************* LEBARON