Government gearing up to send workers as domestic help

KATHMANDU: The government has initiated necessary preparations to send workers for domestic help in international labour markets. To send such workers, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) is working out to list foreign employment agencies and resume skill trainings for aspirants.

As a part of preparation to send domestic service workers (DSWs), the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), about two months ago, had endorsed a separate guideline, lifting ban on Nepali housemaids going to various work destinations. However, workers have been unable to migrate for work in domestic help sector, with the government yet to conclude necessary preparations.

DoFE, today, called for applications from interested manpower agencies to be enlisted as authorised agencies to send DSWs from Nepal. Preparation is also on to start skill development trainings for aspirants from the first day of next fiscal year, reactivating the institutes that have almost closed after the government banned supplying DSWs in July last year, focusing on Gulf countries.

Nepali agencies have been given one month to apply for certification and those who get enlisted as the authorised agencies will be required to sign an agreement with receiving agencies of the destination countries to be able to send DSWs. Earlier, the MoLE had said that it would send domestic workers only after signing labour agreement with destination countries.

“We are in the process of signing bilateral labour agreement with countries, such as Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, that are willing to hire workers for domestic services,” said Buddhi Bahadur Khadka, spokesperson for the MoLE.

He said that the agreement between the agencies of the two countries was a temporary measure to safeguard workers’ rights. To demand DSWs for employers, the agencies of destination countries will have to obtain accreditation from the Nepali embassies or consulate general or consulate.

Domestic service refers to job positions like housemaid, houseboy, caretaker, house cook, kitchen caretaker, house driver, house security guard and gardener. And such workers have to be sent by local recruiting agencies at zero expenses. All the costs — including for training of the domestic worker, orientation, life insurance, health test, visa fee, air ticket and contribution in foreign employment welfare fund — have to be borne by the employer, as per the directive.

The guideline has also included the provision of continuous rest time of eight hours, 24-hour health and life insurance, a weekly off and 30-day annual leave, permission to remain in contact with Nepali diplomatic mission and families back home to workers. However, it has imposed age limitation for Gulf countries and Malaysia.

Aspirants wishing to go as DSWs in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Baharain, Lebanon, Oman and Malaysia should be above the age of 24 years. In case of other countries, if enlisted agencies bag the demand, worker above the age of 18 years can go for work as domestic help.

Earlier, the government had imposed a ban on leaving the country to work as domestic helper, following numerous reports of Nepali housemaids facing multiple problems in Gulf countries. The new guideline is expected to address the problems by holding employers and local recruiting agencies in destination country responsible for their welfare. “The employer shall ensure protection against all forms of violence and exploitation of DSW,” according to the guideline.

Similarly, it says that the passport and work permit of the worker shall remain in the worker’s possession. However, even as the new rule has tried to make domestic help sector safe, it has not talked of minimum salary. Documents like demand and contract letters have to be attested by Nepali diplomatic mission and if the salary is below the minimum standard of the hiring country, such demand will not be approved, according to the DoFE.