The private foreign employment industry will come to a standstill on Wednesday in protest over several recent decisions taken by authorities, which officials say are necessary to safeguard workers at every level and to reduce recruitment of female domestics. Faizer Maickeen of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) told the Sunday Times that [...]

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Foreign employment agents to protest against new regulations

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The private foreign employment industry will come to a standstill on Wednesday in protest over several recent decisions taken by authorities, which officials say are necessary to safeguard workers at every level and to reduce recruitment of female domestics.
Faizer Maickeen of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA) told the Sunday Times that some new regulations of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) is not practical and would be difficult to implement, while at the same time, it would be counterproductive to the industry.

He said that, from the start of this month, female domestic workers will have to pass an exam conducted by the SLFEB, known as the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ3), if they are to qualify for employment in any of the Gulf countries. “Those who fail this exam will not be able to take up employment in the domestic sector in West Asia and this could lead to a huge drop in recruitment,” Mr Maickeen said.

He said another issue raised by the SLFEB is regarding complaints made by a domestic worker. Under this regulation, the recruiting agent will be required to visit the complainant’s residence and attend the inquiry. “This is not practical, and there is also the risk of the agent being attacked and harmed by irate household members and fellow villagers. Complaints of this nature are always sensitive and the SLFEB must take this into consideration before implementing such regulations.

In addition, the complaint should also be settled within two days or else, approval for further recruitment of workers for this particular agent will be suspended with no questions asked. “According to another new regulation, a domestic worker will also have to fill a form and get it endorsed by the Grama Sevaka and the regional Provincial Council, before proceeding for foreign employment.
Once this is done, two officials from the SLFEB will visit the residence of the job seeker and check details such as children’s welfare, of the spouse and other next-of-kin, and also gather information from neighbours, before granting approval.

“This is a time-wasting exercise which will only dwarf the recruiting process that will eventually affect the industry, which is the single largest foreign exchange earner to the country that rakes in some US$ 6 billion annually” Mr Maickeen added. “It is in this backdrop that we have decided to take our protest to the gates of the SLFEB, where all operators and their staff aligned to ALFEA are expected to participate,” he further said.

SLFEB General Manager Harischandra Bategoda speaking to the Sunday Times, defended the changes, saying it was aimed mainly at reducing the number of females seeking employment in the domestic sector in West Asia, and also to protect their welfare.
It is towards this end that we have now introduced the NVQ3 exam, so that the domestic worker will possess a better social standing once they reach their respective employer. It will also bring to an end ad hoc recruitment that is currently in practise.

“Some of the women recruits are faced with harassment, mainly due to ignorance that irritates the employer, which this leads to an issue. Thereby, only those who pass the NVQ3 exam will be eligible for foreign employment as domestic workers. The NVQ3 exam will be held after 21 to 28 days of training at a SLFEB centre”, Mr. Bategoda said.

However, he added that there will be a re-think on the two-day time limit for the settlement of a complaint, but stressed that the other regulations such as the house visit by SLFEB officials to a prospective domestic worker’s home, etc, will not change.




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