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| Sunday, 10 July 2005 |
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Lankan housemaids : Ministry sets bottom line for salaries by Ananda Kannangara The Labour Ministry on Friday directed all registered Foreign Employment Recruiting Agencies in Sri Lanka to strictly adhere to the recent Ministry directive that no Lankan housemaids will be sent for employment in the Middle Eastern countries in future unless their monthly salaries exceed Rs. 15,000 a month. The decision was taken by the Ministry on the recommendations of Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Minister Athauda Seneviratna last month. The directive came into force with effect from July 01. Speaking to the Sunday Observer Minister Seneviratna said that a recent research, carried out by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) revealed that majority of Lankan housemaids, currently employed in the Middle East are paid salaries ranging between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000 a month. "We were compelled to initiate this new proposal, considering the low salary structures still being laid by several Middle Eastern countries for Lankan workers," he said. He said under this new proposal the SLBFE in future will grant the Bureau authority for Lankan housemaids if their work permits clearly indicate that a stipulated salary of Rs. 15,000 a month is paid to each worker by the foreign employer. "Labour providing employment agencies in foreign countries too will be informed about the decision, so that Sri Lankan housemaids in future will be able to find jobs according to the new salary structures," he said. It is reported that around 300,000 Sri Lankans are presently employed in Saudi Arabia, 180,000 in Kuwait and about 150,000 are employed in the UAE. Among them 80 per cent are housemaids. |
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