Mandatory insurance by seekers of Sri Lankan ‘domestic workers’.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Office, affiliated to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Labor, and the bodies responsible for the supply of domestic workers to Kuwait and all countries of the Middle East, has circulated to all licensed intermediary recruitment offices a letter containing the decision to implement a paid insurance plan by the employer for Sri Lankan domestic workers in the region, reports Aljarida daily. According to the letter, the Sri Lankan government’s policy is aimed to ensure the well-being and protection of Sri Lankan workers in the domestic sector in the Middle East. The insurance plan is aimed to provide comprehensive insurance coverage for domestic workers who leave Sri Lanka to work in the Middle East annually.

Domestic workers who work in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain and are subject to this compulsory insurance plan must be registered with the office. An insurance company in Kuwait has been chosen to pay the allocated amount in the event of a desire to use the services of Sri Lankan workers. The insurance plan is effective from January 15, and is a mandatory condition for registration with the Sri Lanka Office for Foreign Labor.

The data of insurance service providers and benefits and the value of premiums and procedures are published. Licensed foreign recruitment agencies are required to present insurance certificates issued by an insurance company upon obtaining final approvals, and this will be verified with the insurance provider by the office. In addition, an expert in domestic labor affairs Bassam Al-Shammari said, “The specified insurance value is KD 47 for each worker who is recruited to work in Kuwait.

This amount has to be borne by the employer (the sponsor) in order to issue an insurance policy against accidents and injuries, especially those related to work.” He stressed that insurance is a prerequisite for obtaining the services of Sri Lankan workers, and no employment contract will be approved unless the insurance is paid, adding that the worker will not be allowed to bear the cost of the insurance.

Source- Arab Times.

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