Saudi law changes, opportunities for domestic workers to change jobs.
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| Saudi law changes, opportunities for domestic workers to change jobs. |
Various reforms are underway in Saudi Arabia under Vision-2030. The country is going through various reforms including women driving cars, women going unaccompanied. This time, Saudi Arabia also changed the labor law. Due to this, domestic workers can work in other places without the permission of the old employer.
Several incidents of domestic workers being tortured and abused in Saudi Arabia came to the media. Those who go to the country to work as domestic workers from different countries of the world are subjected to physical and mental torture. Most of them are poor women from developing countries in Asia including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
According to the news of Saudi Gazette, Saudi Arabia has made some changes in the labor law. Recent labor regulations have also changed. Among the changes, domestic workers are allowed to take jobs elsewhere without the previous employer's permission. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is taking various initiatives to reform the country in various sectors under Vision-2030. Changes in labor laws are also part of this.
In the previous law, the ownership was changed without notifying the domestic workers. The maid did not want to go there but there was no way. Now due to changes in labor laws, domestic workers can change their employer whenever they want. The employer cannot transfer the domestic worker to another person without the domestic worker's permission.
This time, under the changes brought by the Ministry of Labor of Saudi Arabia to the law, domestic workers can complain to the authorities if they are not paid properly or engaged in dangerous work. Apart from this, if the employer engages the worker without his permission and terminates the employment contract during the apprenticeship period, the authorities can take action against the employer.
Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission (HRC) President and National Human Trafficking Committee Chairman Awad Alawad said last Monday that these reforms are being carried out under Vision 2030. Through this, the freedom of movement and job change of foreign workers in Saudi Arabia will increase. Domestic workers will be protected under Saudi Arabian law.
Meanwhile, HRC said in a statement, these reform initiatives reflect the long-standing attention of the international community to Saudi Arabia.
