Lanka, B'desh to implement minimum wage for Gulf workers

Dubai, March 9 (UNI) Even as the Indian government is dilly dallying over imposing a minimum wage for workers bound for the Gulf, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are going ahead with their proposal to demand minimum pay for their workers.

The Sri Lankan government is seeking a mechanism to effectively implement the minimum salary structure it recently introduced for overseas Sri Lankan workers, the country's Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dr Keheliya Rambukwella said in Doha yesterday. The minister is currently in Qatar with a top Sri Lankan delegation.

Meanwhile Bangladesh has fixed a new minimum wage for unskilled workers in Saudi Arabia which will take effect from July 1, the government said yesterday.

Bangladesh has proposed minimum wages up to 950 Riyals (about Rs 10000). Bangladesh currency is cheaper than Indian Rupee.

Meanwhile contractors' lobby in Bahrain has all but succeeded in putting on hold an Indian move to have minimum wages for the workers in the Gulf.

The proposal was to have an inflation linked minimum wages starting with Bahrain where initially an equivalent of about Rs 11000 was proposed as minimum wage.

Minimum wages would have ensured decent living for the workers and would have prevented them from ending up as illegals, Pravasibandhu, an NRI body said.

UNI XC NC PM1349