India clamp on women workers
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 3rd August 2007
INDIA has tightened restrictions on Indian women travelling to work in Bahrain and other Gulf countries, it was revealed yesterday.
From now on, not just housemaids but also other women with emigration clearance-required (ECR) passports will not be allowed to work in countries that do not have a labour welfare pact.
These include salesgirls, seamstresses, waitresses and a variety of other service jobs.
The new rules now also demand a $400 (BD150) minimum salary for all household service workers (HSW) and a security deposit of $2,500 (BD943) from potential HSW employers.
India clamp on women workers
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 3rd August 2007
INDIA has tightened restrictions on Indian women travelling to work in Bahrain and other Gulf countries, it was revealed yesterday.
From now on, not just housemaids but also other women with emigration clearance-required (ECR) passports will not be allowed to work in countries that do not have a labour welfare pact.
These include salesgirls, seamstresses, waitresses and a variety of other service jobs.
The new rules now also demand a $400 (BD150) minimum salary for all household service workers (HSW) and a security deposit of $2,500 (BD943) from potential HSW employers.
“Up till now this applied only to housemaids. But from now onwards, all women holding ECR passports will be banned from going for employment to countries which do not sign a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India on labour welfare,” a Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry (MOIA) official said in New Delhi.
This is expected to come into effect from next month and is among several new policy decisions taken by MOIA to safeguard the interests of Indian workers abroad, he noted.
Indian Ambassador Balkrishna Shetty said these instructions earlier applied only to women going abroad as domestic help or HSWs.
But now their scope has been widened following increasing reports of abuse and exploitation of Indian women workers abroad, he told the GDN.
India is in the process of signing a bilateral labour welfare pact with Bahrain, said Mr Shetty.
Similar pacts has already been signed with Kuwait and the UAE. Oman has agreed to follow suit.
“I took up the matter last week with Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi, who said the government would seriously consider signing the MoU,” said Mr Shetty.
A similar agreement with Malaysia and an additional protocol with Qatar have also been finalised.
There are more than 200,000 Indian women working as HSWs in the Gulf.
The number of Indian housemaids has sharply increased in the last three-four years – from about 5,000, mostly from Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, in 2004, to 15,000 in 2005.
The policy of not allowing emigration by women aged below 30 and of compulsory attestation of employment documents by the Indian mission will now apply to all women holding ECR passports.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said he was particularly concerned about exploitation of women workers.
“We don’t want to completely ban the emigration of women workers but actually check it,” he said speaking at a function earlier this week, where the MOIA signed an MoU with the International Organisation for Migration.
Mr Ravi said his ministry had set up a hotline to curb the exploitation of Indian women working abroad.
“Additionally, we are trying to ensure that any woman who works as domestic help (anywhere abroad) should have direct telephone access to the Indian mission in that country,” he said.
The MOIA official said that according to the new instructions, anyone going abroad – male or female – to work as HSW should be paid a minimum salary of $400 (BD150) a month.
“Emigration clearance will not be given to anyone going abroad as domestic help if the salary is below $400 a month,” he said.
“Additionally, the foreign employer will have to deposit a security of $2,500 (BD943) before taking any Indian worker as domestic help.”
The ministry is also going to introduce compulsory skill certification and pre-departure orientation before issuing emigration clearance to any worker.
The need for labour pacts with the Gulf countries and minimum salary for workers was discussed at a meeting of the Indian Ambassadors to the Gulf, in Doha in March last year.
The meeting was addressed by Mr Ravi and Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahmed.
“These proposals are aimed at protecting the interest of our workers in the Gulf,” said Mr Shetty.
“The new government directives will be sent to Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry and other concerned ministries shortly.
© Gulf Daily News
