Saudi Gazette report MAKKAH – The Bangladeshi consul general in Jeddah has said his country is considering exporting women housekeepers to the Kingdom. Mohammad Najmul Islam noted a study was underway to properly train such workers to allow them to properly conduct their duties. “The study's findings will be completed shortly and the housekeepers will be employed on a SR1,000 monthly salary. Bangladesh authorities have prepared data on more than 2 million workers who have been properly trained in 64 training centers.” He assured that his government has approved a monetary assistance of SR2,000 to SR3,000 for every citizen that is recruited outside the country. This amount can be repaid in monthly installments and without any interest. He pointed out that 800,000 Bangladeshi workers have corrected their residency status while 80,000 have been deported. “There are around 1.3 million Bangladeshis in the Kingdom, and the council of chambers in the Kingdom and Bangladesh are cooperating to facilitate any obstacles that businessmen may face during their visits to either country,” he said. The Kingdom has signed standard labor contracts with a number of Asian countries. In January, Saudi Arabia and India signed a labor cooperation agreement to cover a quarter of the 2.8 million-strong Indian workforce in the Kingdom. The five-year agreement regulates contractual relations between employers and domestic workers in a way protecting the rights of both parties. The agreement contains several provisions to ensure the authenticity and implementation of the employment contract, the recruitment cost, action against recruitment agencies violating laws and a mechanism to prevent cheating by middlemen. It also seeks to establish a mechanism to provide 24-hour assistance to domestic workers. A committee of senior officials from both countries will monitor the implementation of the pact to straighten out any difficulties. Last May, labor ministries of the Kingdom and Philippines signed a historic agreement reinforcing the Standard Employment Contract, which both countries had agreed in 2012. The contract recognizes, among others, the SR1,500 minimum entry-level salary, weekly rest days and daily rest periods, paid vacation leave, non-withholding of passports and work permits, free communication, and humane treatment. The agreement requires that the Kingdom be responsible for the authenticity of the employment contract, opening of a bank account in the name of the domestic worker, a 24-hour mechanism for domestic workers' assistance, the expeditious settlement of labor contract violation cases, and facilitation of exit visas for repatriation upon contract completion or during emergency situations.
