http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=270858&version=1&template_id=37&parent_id=17
Bill on worker abuse criticised KUWAIT: Kuwait's parliament is set to vote on a bill that lays down tough penalties for employers abusing foreign worker after US criticism and violent protests by Asian labourers, but critics say it will not achieve much. The move follows protests last year by hundreds of mainly Bangladeshi workers demanding better pay and conditions. Many said they could not live on their salaries after employers deducted housing, meal and health care costs. In June, a US State Department report on forced labour and the sex trade placed Kuwait in the "worst offender" category. Deputies are due to vote on a draft next week that will limit work hours for foreign workers, while requiring employers to provide health care and education for children or face fines or jail terms. It will not, however, replace a sponsorship system under which foreign workers must be sponsored by Kuwaitis. Critics say this leaves them at the mercy of their employers. "The new law does not mention the sponsorship system ... and it is necessary to scrap this system," said Islamist MP Waleed al-Tabtabae, who heads parliament's human rights committee. Ali al-Baghli, head of the Kuwait Society for Human Rights, agreed: "Unfortunately the draft overlooks important issues like the sponsorship system and minimum wage for domestic helpers." - Reuters [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
