HRITC welcomes Saudi Arabia’s decision regarding the employment system and demands that the move include domestic workers
Beirut /
The Human Rights Information and Training Center – HRITC, a regional organization that holds a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, welcomed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s move to improve conditions for expatriate workers and abolish the sponsorship system.
A statement by the center said that the step announced by the Saudi government is on the right track to restore the rights of migrant workers, and that would enhance the path of migrant workers’ rights at the Gulf level, not just Saudi Arabia.
According to the official announcement in Saudi Arabia, the implementation of the expected reforms will be on March 14, 2021, according to a decision issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (November 4).
HRITC statement stressed the positivity of this decision, which also includes steps in implementing a wage protection system that guarantees equal pay for equal work between men and women, establishing a portal for digital documentation and ratification of work contracts to ensure transparency, and launching a “friendly system” for the amicable settlement of disputes at work.
The Human Rights Information and Training Center (HRITC) called on the official authorities in Saudi Arabia to fill the gap on the side of domestic workers as they were not covered by the expected steps.
HRITC said that ignoring this broad category of workers makes them vulnerable to violating their rights and to the trafficking operations that must end.
Stressing that fairness of workers and enabling them to move freely, choose their jobs, and move without restrictions is a matter that enhances the common benefit of all parties and gives migrant workers a space of safety that enables them to actively contribute to building the society in which they live and be a positive addition to strengthening building and community peace.
Human Rights Information and Training Center – HRITC
Beirut – 11/08/2020
