Saudi Arabia (BBN)-Bangladeshi Consul General Shahid Al-Karim said a large number of Bangladeshi workers are eager to begin employment in the Kingdom soon, but are waiting for the Kingdom to set an official date to start the recruitment process.
Al-Karim said his country has the capability of providing large numbers of domestic workers to the Kingdom. “The Saudi market will determine the required number,” he said, reports the Arab News.
He said Bangladeshi workers access job opportunities outside the country by registering with employment service offices or internationally accredited private recruiting agencies.
The signed bilateral agreement sets the minimum wage of Bangladeshi household workers at SR800.
“The real wage is determined by market data, while the sponsor pays all travel fees and provides housing, food, clothing, treatment and other needs,” said Al-Karim, adding that the employment contract will clarify all rights to facilitate solving conflicts.
Tayseer Al-Mofrej, director of the media center at the Ministry of Labour, said meetings with officials from the Ministries of Labour, Internal Affairs, and Foreign Affairs are ongoing to ensure the fulfillment of basic requirements regarding employment by the Bangladeshi side, including quality, training, health and security aspects.
Al-Mofrej said the arrival of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia is in the final stages, and will be announced soon after the verification of fulfillment of the required conditions.
He emphasized the keenness of the Ministry of Labor to verify all requirements are fulfilled in order to ensure good quality labor in the Kingdom’s market and all interests of citizens are safeguarded.
Meanwhile, owners of recruitment offices said their past experiences recruiting household workers from Bangladesh were a failure, and stressed the need for the Ministry of Labor to address previous problems, mainly noncompliance with contracts, the late arrival of employment, and domestic labor’s inability to continue work.
According to Munif Al-Dahmashi, a member of the National Committee for Foreign Recruitment, the market has been struggling to bring in household workers due to halted activities of the majority of exporting labor organizations.
“It is a temporary period which will end after organizing the regulations of labor contracts,” he added.
Al-Dahmashi attributed the main causes of the deficit in recruitment from abroad to poor training and qualification of workers, especially labor from poorer countries that do not have or use modern techniques.
He said two issues should be considered when agreements are signed: first, ensuring exporting countries train their labor on the customs and traditions of families in Saudi Arabia; and second, providing an interpreter for Saudi recruitment offices to speak with workers in their own language.
BBN/SK/AD-21Mae15-3:40pm (BST)