THE TIMES OF INDIA: Workers’ relief: More MoUs with Gulf

NEW DELHI: In what will come as a special reward for over five million Indian workers in the Gulf, the ministry of overseas Indian affairs is negotiating signing memorandum of understandings with several Gulf nations to protect the rights of migrant labourers. The ministry will sign MoUs with Kuwait and Qatar in a months time.

“The aim is to provide more employment opportunities and protect the rights of migrant labourers. We are in tallks with most of the Gulf nations. The MoU with Kuwait and Qatar will be signed with in a month. Other MoUs with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain will be finalised accordingly,” said a ministry official.

NEW DELHI: In what will come as a special reward for over five million Indian workers in the Gulf, the ministry of overseas Indian affairs is negotiating signing memorandum of understandings with several Gulf nations to protect the rights of migrant labourers. The ministry will sign MoUs with Kuwait and Qatar in a months time.

“The aim is to provide more employment opportunities and protect the rights of migrant labourers. We are in tallks with most of the Gulf nations. The MoU with Kuwait and Qatar will be signed with in a month. Other MoUs with Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain will be finalised accordingly,” said a ministry official.

“There are over five million labourers currently working in the Gulf. A number of workers have been complaining about underpayment and denial of contractual obligations to workers by their employers abroad. In the absence of any protection policy, it’s difficult to take any action against it. With such MoUs in place, the Indian embassy in that particular nation can intervene in the matter,” said Nirmal Singh, secretary, MOIA.

Recently, minister for overseas Indian affairs, Vayalar Ravi, and UAE’s labour minister Ali Bin Abdulla Al-Ka’abi had signed an agreement for cooperation in manpower recruitment.

Under the pact, the employer will have no authority to change the terms and conditions of the contract as the MoU mandates that it should be in conformity with the work permit that the employer obtains from a particular government.

“The MoUs with other nations will be on similar lines