Any woman going to the Gulf countries for work from now on will need to produce a job contract and an assurance from the employer of payment of minimum wages.
NEW DELHI: Any woman going to the Gulf countries for work from now on will need to produce a job contract and an assurance from the employer of payment of minimum wages.
A 24-hour telephone helpline will also be established in the Indian missions in the Gulf countries as part of measures by the Government to ensure protection of the interests of the Indian workers there.
The steps have been decided upon by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in the wake of increasing incidents of exploitation and ill-treatment of Indian workers, particularly the housemaids, in the Gulf countries.
The minimum wages is likely to be fixed between USD 250-300 and no migrant worker will be allowed to leave India without furnishing the contract, specifying salary and other work conditions, entered into with the employer.
The contract to be attested by respective Indian missions will have to be furnished before departure at airports.
The key decisions were taken at a two-day conference of the Heads of Mission in various Gulf countries here chaired by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi.
"We have also asked all our missions to put in place a mechanism to provide legal and other assistance to migrant workers. The mission can adopt whatever method they want in accordance with the law of the land in their respective countries," Ravi said.
The Ministry will support the missions in meeting the expenses of the round-the-clock helpline and the mechanism to be set up in various missions to address the needs of migrant workers, he told.
Among the Gulf countries, Kuwait has already taken the lead and engaged the services of a private firm to provide legal and other assistance to Indian workers there, Ministry officials said.
Ravi said women emigrant workers, especially housemaids, are the most vulnerable as they suffer "gender and economic bias" and do not get the protection of labour laws in foreign countries.
The Ministry is also contemplating a proposal to the Gulf countries under which employers there will have to deposit some money as security before hiring people. This amount will be forfeited in the event of violation of contractual obligations.
Another worrying factor the government is the flow of illegal migrants from India to the Gulf and South-East Asian countries and their subsequent deportation from there on detection.
"Our people should not overstay or go to countries without valid documents. We want to check this and have asked state governments to prosecute those who indulge in cheating illiterate workers," Ravi said.
There has been a rush of Indian workers, most of them without carrying valid documents, to Malaysia after it granted visa on arrival facility, leading to detention of several of them.
The Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry is also launching a major countrywide awareness campaign soon with the involvement of state governments, he said.
Besides, the Centre is also asking the states to organize pre-departure training courses for migrant workers, most of them illiterate, to make them aware of the rules, regulations and procedures in the country they are going.
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