Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka have signed an agreement to set up an electronic system that would streamline recruitment from the island nation.
According to Saudi Deputy Labor Minister for Customer and Labor Relations Ziad Al-Sayegh, the two countries signed the agreement recently in Colombo, during the bi-annual joint technical committee meeting held to monitor the progress of labor relations.
Al-Sayegh said the electronic system would function through the Saudi Musaned website, and would keep a tab on the charges levied by the exporting countries and wages of domestic workers. It would increase competitiveness between recruitment agencies and reduce delays, he said.
Last year, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka signed a labor pact protecting the rights of workers and employers, covering 12 categories of domestic workers including housemaids, drivers, cleaners, and waiters employed by individuals.
The proposed agreement includes provisions stipulating that contracts be in a language understood by the workers, and include details of working conditions, and health and safety requirements.
Employers must agree to terminate the service contracts of workers after a maximum period of two years if their employees want to leave. In addition, employees have the right to retain all their travel documents at all times.
Source: Arab News