Domestic Workers From Sri Lanka to Be Insured

Mohammed Rasooldeen, Arab News

RIYADH, 19 May 2008 — Saudi Arabia will soon introduce a mandatory insurance scheme for Sri Lankan domestic workers.

The decision was taken during talks between Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi and Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Promotion and Labor Welfare Minister Keheliya Rambukwella at Riyadh’s Royal Conference Palace on Saturday. Sri Lankan Ambassador Mohamed Ageed Mohamed Marleen and Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Chairman Kingsley Ranawake were present.

The Lankan minister said that it was agreed that the Sri Lankan government would appoint an international insurance company and the Saudi government would encourage employers to pay the premium on behalf of their workers.

"Such an arrangement will ease problems for both the employees and employers as well as the two governments in case of eventualities," the minister said.

More than 80 percent of the 550,000 Sri Lankan workers in the Kingdom are housemaids. Remittances by foreign workers is the second largest source of foreign exchange for the country.

Rambukwella said Al-Gosaibi agreed to take stern action against employers who pay salaries stipulated in the work contract. Beginning January this year, Sri Lanka had introduced a minimum wage of SR650 for a housemaid who comes for employment to the Kingdom.

Rambukwella said the Sri Lankan government will in the future open Non-Resident Foreign Currency (NRFC) accounts in banks for each maid coming to work in the Kingdom and employers will be asked to deposit wages in the accounts so that the authorities could keep track of the payments.

During talks with Deputy Interior Minister Mohammed ibn Naif, Rambukwella said the Interior Ministry has agreed to release Sri Lankan prisoners who had served their terms but are still languishing in jails due to bureaucratic procedures. Some prisoners have remained incarcerated for up to six months beyond their terms because of delays related to deportation clearance.