Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has stopped 126 recruitment offices from recruiting domestic workers from the 8 approved countries due to their violations of the regulations and rules of recruitment activities. Khalid Aba Al-Khail, the spokesman of the ministry, said that they follow individuals and offices that operate illegally in recruiting domestic workers in the Kingdom. Currently Saudis may recruit domestic workers from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Vietnam, Sir Lanka, Tanzania and Niger. The cost of the domestic helps from these countries range from SR8,000 to SR22,000. The employer may request having a maid, nanny, nurse, driver or worker. The violating individuals or offices might be accused of human trafficking and their businesses closed and they may also be made to pay fines of SR10,000. The ministry called on the public to deal only with certified offices, which are on Musaned online portal. The ministry also did not renew the licenses to 6 offices and it canceled the license for 7 other offices. Lately the ministry had acted on some 7,000 complaints against the recruitment offices. These complaints range from the manipulating of the prices and not sticking to the agreed time to provide services to their clients. In the same context the ministry returned SR1.7 million to Saudis from various regions, who were not provided with the services promised by the recruitment offices. According to Musaned system of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the domestic workers have the right to get 9 hours of rest a day and also have weekend based on the agreement with the sponsor. The system also obliges the sponsor to provide health care for the domestic workers. The worker has also the right for a paid sick leave for no more than 30 days a year. The domestic worker has also the right for one month vacation after staying for two years with his sponsor. Also the domestic worker has the right to get a bonus if he/she stays with the employer for 4 continuous years. The sponsor has the right to have a trial period that does not exceed 90 days in which he can check the effectiveness of the domestic worker and his/her behavior. The contract is in three copies one stays with the recruitment office, one with the employer and a third with the domestic worker.
