Al Watan Daily

IOM=20 workshop probes alternatives to the = sponsorship=20 system

Nihal Sharaf
Staff=20 Writer

KUWAIT: Kuwait is working on = a new=20 scheme to replace the 45=DCyear=DCold = kafil=20 (sponsorship) system for expatriate = manpower in=20 the country, said a senior official. "The = Ministry=20 of Social Affairs and Labor is now willing = to=20 start an organization that protects the = rights of=20 the workers as well as the rights of the = owners as=20 an alternative for the kafil (sponsorship) = system," the Undersecretary at the = Ministry of=20 Social Affairs and Labor, Mohammed = Al=DCKanderi told=20 Al Watan Daily on Sunday.
According to = the U.N.=20 Population Division, up to 1.6 million = foreign=20 workers reside in Kuwait, making up 65 = percent of=20 the entire workforce. "There have been = studies and=20 efforts and a serious desire from the = ministry and=20 labor unions to find a suitable = alternative for=20 the sponsorship system. For more than 45 = years,=20 the government was allocated as the = sponsor for=20 some workers in certain jobs, who worked = for their=20 own, so I think this is not new to us," = Al=DCKanderi=20 told the press.
Experts had previously=20 criticized the existing law as weak = because it=20 fails to serve the interests of Kuwaitis = and=20 expatriates with limited income. They said = scrapping of the of the kafil system = entirely is=20 the best alternative in ending the = ''modern=DCday=20 slavery'' of innocent expatriates, = pointing out=20 that Kuwait encountered human trafficking = problems=20 lately due to a few unscrupulous elements. = The=20 undersecretary''s statements came at the = opening=20 session of the International Organization = for=20 Migration''s (IOM) workshop on enhancing = the=20 management of temporary foreign labor in = Kuwait=20 scheduled to be held from Feb. = 15=DC19.
Regarding=20 the new Labor Law''s proposals pertaining = to=20 specifying a minimum wage for domestic = workers in=20 the country, the official said that one of = the=20 main observations of international = organizations=20 such as IOM is that Kuwait has to create = certain=20 policies in cooperation with the civil = society and=20 the union of workers in Kuwait.
"The = government=20 in previous years tried to create a stable = minimum=20 wage for workers but wasn''t able to do so = due to=20 seclusion of this issue from the law. = Labor laws=20 do not go into all issues in detail; = therefore, it=20 is essential to have committees to make = executive=20 decisions," he stated.
He added that = the=20 committee has to consider the standard of = living=20 of laborers in the country as well and = that the=20 responsible body for this issue is the = Ministry of=20 Social Affairs and Labor.
"Honestly, = the law=20 cannot guarantee a certain degree now but = the law=20 has to be given a certain flexibility to = improve=20 the standard of living of foreign labor in = the=20 future as much as possible," he commented. = Speaking to the audience, Al=DCKanderi = said that=20 this workshop comes with the objective of=20 providing professionals in Kuwait with the = capabilities of effectively managing = foreign labor=20 as well as to enhance cooperation with the = government and civil societies. He said = that the=20 Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is = committed=20 to working with migrants in cooperation = with the=20 IOM and other countries.
The IOM is a = leading=20 international organization that assists in = meeting=20 the growing operational challenges of = migration=20 management around the world and encourages = social=20 and economic development through = migration. The=20 workshop is an orientation course for = government=20 and civil society representatives in order = to=20 develop dialogue and cooperation between = the=20 various organizational bodies.
In his = opening=20 remarks, the Charge d''Affaires of the = British=20 Embassy, Tim Stew, said that migration = remains the=20 top issue in the U.K. and the task of all=20 countries is to make migration work = effectively=20 since foreign workers are part of the = solution not=20 the problem for Kuwait and everybody = else.
The=20 U.N. Resident Coordinator in Kuwait, = Valerie=20 Cliff, said that the U.N. country team = works to=20 support the government of Kuwait in = meeting its=20 national development goals. "Kuwait''s = national=20 development goals are in fact defined by = its=20 strategic vision which is to become a = financial=20 and commercial center, attractive to = investors,=20 where the private sector leads the = economy,=20 creating competition and promoting = efficiency.=20 Certainly, in order to achieve this = vision, Kuwait=20 must redouble its efforts to provide = attractive=20 and sustainable job opportunities, even in = these=20 difficult economic and financial = circumstances,"=20 she added.
IOM Regional Representative = for the=20 Middle East, Shahidul Haque, also said = that the=20 organization works closely with the = government of=20 Kuwait as well as other stakeholders to = raise=20 awareness on the wellbeing of foreign = workers.=20 They, he said, have always enjoyed a good = level of=20 cooperation; however, the workshop will = help in=20 promoting further = discussions.
Al=DCKanderi also=20 spoke to the press regarding the reasons = why the=20 Labor Law was not discussed in the second=20 parliamentary session last week, He said: = "The=20 current labor law has been active since = 1964, for=20 45 years, and has been decided in the = first round=20 of voting. So, I think, the next two to = three=20 weeks is enough to amend the law as = compared to 45=20 years of delay in the amendment of the = law."
He=20 said that there have not been any = indications that=20 the labor force in Kuwait has been = decreasing. If=20 that is the case in the future, he said, = the=20 ministry would immediately find solutions = for the=20 benefit of the labor force and the=20 country.
Speaking to Al Watan Daily, = Shahidul=20 Haque, spoke about the standards that = should be=20 taken into consideration for managing the = foreign=20 labor force in Kuwait as well as what the = IOM=20 hopes to accomplish in Kuwait after the=20 workshop.
He said: "Management of = foreign labor=20 varies from country to country. There = isn''t a=20 specific standard to deal with the = management=20 globally because every country has = different=20 policies, economies and culture and we = honor that.=20 We commend the government of Kuwait for = having=20 good management of labor, but there are = issues=20 that need further attention and we have = been=20 talking with the government for a long=20 time."
He indicated that over the = course of the=20 five days they would be focusing on what = the=20 dynamics of foreign labor in Kuwait are; = how these=20 are being managed and how best they can = implement=20 them. The evaluations and plan of action = will then=20 be proposed to the Ministry of Social = Affairs and=20 Labor and the National Assembly. "One = issue that=20 we would try and bring about is the = dialogue=20 between the sending countries and the = receiving=20 countries; which is Kuwait in this case. = It has=20 been very useful in other countries, such = as in=20 Bahrain. (We advise Kuwait) to talk to the = members=20 of the country of origin of labor and see = how best=20 one can complement each other''s efforts, = because=20 everybody''s intention is to make the = (workforce)=20 a good venture," he commented.
Haque = added that=20 so far the dialogue in Kuwait has been = good,=20 however, the dialogue has been mostly = bilateral=20 saying; "We advise the government and the = civil=20 bodies to sit together and openly discuss, = informally, the problems. Sometimes = brilliant=20 ideas come out of (these kind of) = dialogues. This=20 is what we are doing here. We see = government=20 officials, embassy officials and NGOs and = we will=20 all have discussions and share some good = examples=20 from other countries." The five day = workshop will=20 include sessions on the protection of = workers to=20 make the system fair and transparent, = bilateral=20 arrangement for labor mobility as well as = the=20 migration dynamics in Kuwait and the laws = and=20 legislations on counter trafficking in=20 persons.
Regarding the financial crises = and how=20 it has impacted the foreign labor force in = Kuwait,=20 he said that, generally in the GCC = countries, the=20 impact of the financial crises is not = severe, like=20 Europe or America; "It''s most likely that = the=20 economy will withstand the crises because = the=20 fundamentals of Kuwait''s economy are very = strong.=20 The last time that I was here, I saw a lot = of=20 signs of growth in housing, services and = the=20 education sector and health. So I think = overall=20 there is some effect but not substantial," = he=20 added.
He said that the private sector = often=20 thinks that downsizing the workforce will = counter=20 the financial crises; as was the case = during the=20 financial crises in Asia and Latin = America.=20 However, according to Shahidul Haque, it = is often=20 that the migrant workers are part of the = solution.=20 "You lay them off and send them home and = in six=20 months time you will have to bring them = back and=20 that will be more expensive. This is why = it is=20 important to have a dialogue with = everybody and=20 see how everyone can best contribute to = pass=20 through these difficulties successfully," = he=20 opined.

Last updated=20 on Monday 16/2/2009=20 =

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