Despite Ministry of Labor's partial ban on hiring of Bangladeshi workers, the Bangladesh Ambassador to the Kingdom said the minimum salary for Bangla workers will be raised from SR400 to SR550 effective July 1. This increase is in addition to food allowance, free housing, and medical care. Bangladesh Ambassador S.M. Ikramul Haque made this announcement during a meeting with the Bangladeshi community in Eastern Province. Recently, Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has confirmed the partial ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. He said this was reached by the Saudi Manpower Council to strike a balance among various nationalities working in the Kingdom. The ban covers those working as house help and those working in the agricultural jobs. “Starting from 1st of July 2008, no work visa will be attested, unless the minimum wage level is SR550, which earlier used to be SR400, in addition to free-food, free-accommodation and free-Medicare,” the ambassador said when asked how the Bangladeshi government is addressing the low wage of Bangladeshi workers in the face of inflation. In addition, Haque also said that the embassy has been successful in negotiating with Saudi companies to increase the salaries of Bangladeshi workers working with them. He said the embassy has also started a charity clinic in Riyadh for less privileged Bangladeshi workers where they can get free consultation, basic treatments, and medicines, courtesy of Bangladeshi doctors. In his address to the community, the ambassador emphasized the awareness and adherence on Saudi laws, rules, customs and traditions. He also expressed appreciation to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for the aid of $150 million, presented to the recent cyclone victims of Bangladesh. __
