Minimum salary of 900 Saudi Riyals for Lankan house-keepers

by Naalir Jamaldeen

A Sri Lankan domestic house-keepers who leave for Saudi Arabia should be paid a minimum salary of 900 Saudi Riyals by their employers and not less, Deputy General Manager of Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) Mangala Randeniya told the Sunday Observer.

All licensed agencies have been called upon to sign the agreement with the employers only after they agree to pay the minimum salary of 900 Saudi Riyals. This should be clearly mentioned in the agreement, he said.

The SLBFE works round the clock to protect Sri Lankan migrant workers employed in the Middle East and other countries, Randeniya said.

"We have not received any assistance from international agencies such as Amnesty International. We have called upon the International Red Cross (ICRC) to appear on behalf of Sri Lankans working in foreign countries including the Middle East who are victimised by their employers", he said Certain employers in Middle East countries have been jailed for violent behaviour with domestic house-keepers, Randeniya said.