Kuwait and India sign MoU on labour

Dubai, Apr 11: Kuwait and India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on labour, employment and manpower development, which officials described as a milestone in the history of their relations.

Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah signed the MOU yesterday.

The MOU, ratified after many years of negotiations, is expected to streamline the recruitment of Indian workers and improve their living conditions in Kuwait.

The key component of the labour MOU is the Joint Working Group (JWG)which will be constituted by early next year.

It will comprise multidisciplinary and multi-ministerial groupings from Kuwait and India and meet twice a year - once in New Delhi and once in Kuwait - Ravi said.

It will seek to enforce contractual obligations between the employer and the employee and make sure that salaries are paid as per the contract and living conditions are improved.

It also envisages joint studies between Kuwait and India to explore new avenues for employment based on the economic needs of the Kuwaiti economy.

It also provides for joint training programmes so that skilled manpower, which will meet the labour supply gaps of Kuwait, is made available from India.

Ravi told mediapersons the proposed NRI University, to be established with investments from NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), would have 50 per cent seat reservation for them.

There are around 550,000 Indians living and working in Kuwait, of which around 250,000 are in the domestic sector.

UNI