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Labor union leader calls for canceling sponsorship system |
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Saturday, 15 January 2011 22:46 |
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KUWAIT: The Secretary General for Kuwait Labor Unions, Abdulrahman Yousuf, said that the union will stick to its demand that the current sponsorship system in Kuwait be cancelled, reported Al-Anba.
He said that the current system should be revoked because it gives Kuwait a bad international reputation and negatively effects expats. He added that the system not only contradicts human rights and international agreements on public freedoms and democracy but also contradicts Kuwaiti norms and culture.
Yousef said that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor still has yet to demonstrate that their opinion on this matter is anything more than just talk. Despite the fact that the minister said the sponsorship system will be cancelled by February no steps have been taken to demonstrate their commitment to such a move, he added.
Law number 6/2010 laid the legislative groundwork for such a change in policy, he continued, pointing out that the law requested the formation of a public authority for laborers within one year of the date of its signing. The year is over and we have not seen anything to make us feel optimistic, he said. "Even if such an authority is to be formed, it requires a law, which will take time being negotiated in the National Assembly. The law will take a long time," he said.
This is a serious matter," he said, "the world can no longer keep their eyes closed on these human rights violations. Meanwhile, undersecretary for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Mohammad Al-Kandari said that organizing seminars and conferences on laborers' rights and employers has a positive effect on the relationship between the two groups, reported Al-Anba.
Al-Kandari made his comments while speaking at a workshop organized and co-hosted by the International Immigration Organization (IIO). He said that there are 15 million expats in Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) states and that this number requires that workshops and seminars be held to find solutions between laborers and employers.
He specifically cited a workshop hosted by the IIO and the Embassy of the Netherlands, 'Sponsorship system: chances and challenges,' as a good example of how listening to laborers views are good for the relationship between employees and employers. He thanked Eiman Oraiqat, Director of the IIO's Kuwait office, for hosting the seminar in cooperation with the Embassy of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior's director of domestic labor at the immigration department, Brigadier Abdullah Al-Ali said that such workshops strengthen Kuwait's relationship with other GCC states. He said it allows them to exchange views and suggestions regarding expats' and laborers' rights and gives officials a chance to train with international experts.
Source : Kuwait Times
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