RIYADH — The Shoura Council on Monday rejected a draft agreement between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Indonesia on the employment of domestic workers. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh, president of the Council, chaired the session, which discussed various aspects of the draft agreement before voting on it, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Yahya Al-Samaan, assistant president of the Council, said that the committee for administration and human resources presented a report on the agreement after making some amendments.
Muhammad Al-Naqadi, chairman of the committee, spelled out the amendments made in the draft in line with similar agreements signed with a number of countries from where the Kingdom hires domestic manpower.
Taking part in deliberations, some members opposed the amendments. One member said the amendments lack provisions to protect the rights of employers.
He also noted that the draft also does not guarantee fulfillment of obligations from the second party. Another member said the draft would create a negative image about the work environment in the Kingdom. When this issue came up for discussion at the Council in June 2014, several members had called for introducing more provisions in the agreement so as to compel the second party to fulfill their obligations and protect the rights of employers.
Indonesia suspended sending domestic help to the Kingdom in 2011. However, a labor agreement between the two countries was signed last February.
Meanwhile, the Council discussed the report from the Islamic and judicial affairs committee on the annual report of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques.
The committee underlined the need for a mechanism to count the number of those who enter the two holy mosques so as to create a database.
The committee recommended that the presidency should be allowed to propose candidates for the jobs under its jurisdiction. Some members called for a mechanism to streamline entry of women to Rawdat Al-Sharif at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah.
