PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER LABOR AND TIP BILLS AMID

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001078 SIPDIS NEA/ARP E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI KMPI KTIP ELAB KU SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER LABOR AND TIP BILLS AMID CONTINUING LABOR CONTROVERSIES REF: A. KUWAIT 832 ¶B. KUWAIT 811 Classified By: PolCouns Pete O'Donohue for reasons 1.4 b and d 1.(U) Summary: Kuwait's parliament is slated to debate and vote on two key labor bills in the coming months: a private sector labor bill and a long-awaited anti-Trafficking-In-Persons bill. Parliament will review these bills against a backdrop of record-setting deportations of illegally-imported foreign workers and growing expatriate anger over domestic labor abuses. Indonesia has announced its intention to cease sending domestic workers to Kuwait. End Summary. -------------- -------------- Private sector labor bill & the anti-trafficking bill -------------- -------------- 2.(SBU) The private sector labor bill has been placed twentieth on the National Assembly's agenda and may come up for a final approval vote as early as the November 17 or December 1 sessions, according to local press reports and as confirmed to PolOff by Fadhil Al-Masha'an of the National Assembly's General Register Office. The bill received the first of two approval votes needed to pass during an unprecedented August 19 emergency session of parliament (Ref A). The bill would increase foreign workers' annual leave from fourteen days to thirty days and increase the amount of time required for notices of termination from one month to three. (Note: The private sector labor bill will not apply to domestic workers, who make up about a quarter of Kuwait's two million-strong expat labor force. End note.) The anti-trafficking bill was easily passed by the Legislative Committee on June 21 but has not yet come up for its initial approval vote and is not yet available for public viewing (Ref B). It is not yet clear when it will be considered by parliament. -------------- Indonesia stops sending maids -------------- 3.(SBU) On September 14, the Indonesian government announced that it would no longer allow Indonesian domestic workers into Kuwait due to concern over widespread allegations of abuse by employers, according to local press reports and confirmed to PolOff on October 5 by Dr. Arifien Habibie, Senior Advisor to the Coordinating Minister for Manpower Issues in Indonesia's Ministry of Economic Affairs, who was visiting Kuwait for an International Organization for Migration function. Indonesians account for around 60,000 of Kuwait's 550,000 domestic workers. 4.(C) On October 28, Philippines Ambassador Ricardo Endaya conveyed to PolOff Filipino support for Indonesia's move to stop sending domestic workers to Kuwait. He also spoke of his desire that Manila follow suit: "I would stop our women coming here if I could." However, he was doubtful that such measures would be undertaken by his government. There are around 100,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait, many of whom are domestic workers. -------------- GOK to deport 17,000 foreign workers -------------- 5.(SBU) On September 24, the GOK announced plans to deport 17,000 foreign workers -- the vast majority of whom had been brought to Kuwait illegally by Kuwaiti companies -- by the end of the year, according to local press and confirmed to PolOff by Philippines labor attach Josephus Jimenez on October 28. Although the GOK regularly deports foreign workers who have been illegally brought to Kuwait -- it deported 16,000 in 2006 -- the figure of 17,000 is the largest annual deportation since 1991. -------------- Comment -------------- 6.(SBU) Indonesia has periodically stopped sending maids to Kuwait, only to resume when they perceive that the situation has improved. Endaya and Jimenez of the Philippines Embassy have been holding their own talks with the GOK, meeting with MFA officials on November 11 to discuss the possible KUWAIT 00001078 002 OF 002 repatriation of 140 Filipina runaway maids currently stranded at the Filipino Embassy's cramped makeshift shelter, which PolOff visited on October 28. Endaya urged the GOK to expatriate the maids quickly, expressing fears that H1N1 could quickly spread among the women living in such close quarters, according to local press reports. 7.(SBU) Growing numbers of Kuwaitis, inside and outside the GOK, are aware of and embarrassed by the abuses that expatriate laborers -- and particularly domestic workers -- sometimes encounter here. Many of these individuals are determined to improve Kuwait's record in these areas. The fact that labor and TIP bills are approaching serious review in parliament is a step forward for Kuwait, although much remains to be done to halt the lucrative trade that illegally imports workers and subsequently exploits them. ********************************************* ********* For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it ********************************************* ********* JONES