Saudi-Philippine labor pact gets Cabinet's nod

The Cabinet has approved the domestic worker recruitment agreement signed between the Saudi and Philippines labor ministries in May last year.
A report by the Saudi Press Agency on Monday said the Cabinet gave its approval on the agreement based on a report submitted Labor Minister Adel Fakeih.
Covered by the agreement are housemaids, babysitters, laundrywomen, family drivers, cooks and gardeners.
The agreement stipulates that workers receive a minimum monthly salary of SR1,500, their own bank accounts, weekly rest days and daily rest periods, paid vacation leave, non-withholding of passports and work permits, free communication and humane treatment.
Saudi Arabia requires workers to be medically fit, with no criminal record.
Saudi and Philippine labor officials concluded the pact more than a year after RIyadh ordered a freeze on the recruitment of domestic workers amid complaints by Manila of rising domestic worker abuse among Saudi families.
The Cabinet action affirmed the agreement, which had actually been implemented since 2013, paving the way for the lifting of a ban on recruitment of Filipino domestic workers for the Saudi market.
Saudi Arabia signed similar accords with India and Sri Lanka last January.

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