Gulf | Kuwait
Kuwait suggests plans to end sponsorship system
Labour Ministry submits three proposals based on studies and recommendations to help put an end to the controversial sponsorship system
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 12:33 December 16, 2010
- Kuwait has pledged to put an end to the harsh sponsorship system in 2011 despite strong opposition from the business community.
- Image Credit: Reuters
Manama: Kuwait's Labour Ministry has submitted three proposals to the government to help end the controversial sponsorship system.
The proposals are based on studies and recommendations prepared by the ministry, the Arab Labour Organisation and the International Labour Organisation, a source from the ministry has said.
"The ministry took into consideration the specifics of the Kuwaiti labour market as well as the recommendations of international organisations on labour and human rights," the unnamed source told Kuwaiti daily Al Anbaa on Thursday.
The first proposal recommends setting up a government company tasked with hiring employees and labourers. The company will be the sponsor of all foreigners working in Kuwait, in both the public and private sectors.
Right to switch jobs
The second suggestion calls to ease the movement of expatriates within the labour market. Under the plan, an employee or labourer will have the right to switch jobs after three years or at the end of his or her public service contract.
The third plan puts an independent manpower authority in charge of all expatriates in the public and private sectors. Under the proposal, an expatriate is given a work permit that allows him or her to work anywhere in Kuwait.
However, the authority would keep the expatriate's passport as a guarantee to the employer that he or she would not run away or switch jobs, and would hand him or her a special employment card.
The expatriate could retrieve the passport every time he presented evidence from his company that he was allowed to travel outside the country.
Kuwait has pledged to put an end to the sponsorship system next year despite opposition from business.
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