Domestic servants in the Kingdom are the favorite for mal-treatments and abuse by their employers. Some of them are forced to work hard straight the whole day without food and sleep. Some of them are unpaid. Not all migrant workers coming to Saudi Arabia are protected by Saudi Labor Law – especially the domestic servants. If you were one of those applying for this position – this article will help you decide because mostly of the abused workers in the Kingdom belong to this group of workers.
There are cases that some of the domestic servants are being abused and mal-treated by their employers. Some of them are working straight the whole day without food and sleep. Some of them are raped and some are unpaid. If you were one of those workers planning to work in the Kingdom as domestic servants – be sure to keep with you the contact addresses and numbers of your consulates and embassies in the Kingdom where to report any of the problems regarding your employments.
Who are these domestic servants? Everyday the Kingdom receives hundreds of migrant workers for these positions. These workers are coming from Asian countries and other third world countries who are willing to work for survival. They are family drivers, family cooks, family nurse, nannies, gardeners, family cleaners, family electricians, plumbers, air-conditioned technicians, household helpers, maids and other migrant workers recruited to work with the Saudi families.
Saudi Labor Law and its rules of implementation determine the relation between worker and employer which in turn would result in providing a suitable work environment for migrants, preserving their rights and establishing an appropriate work relation between the two parties of production. However, there is always an exemption for every rule and it is stated in Article 7 of Saudi Labor Law.
Article 7 of Saudi Labor Law states - The following shall be excluded from the application of this law:
- Members of the employer’s family, namely his wife, ascendants and descendants who work in the establishment with no other employees.
- Domestic servants and the like.
- Sea workmen who work in vessels whose tonnage is less than 500 tons.
- Agriculture workmen other than the categories set forth in Article 5.
- Non Saudi workmen who are brought in to perform a specific task and for a period of not more than two months.
- Players and coaches of sport clubs and associations. The Ministry of Labor shall, in coordination with the competent agencies, draw up and submit to the Council of Ministers the rules applicable to domestic servants and similar categories to regulate their relationship with their employers and to define the rights and duties of each party.
If you're interested to have the full copy of the Labor Law of the Kingdom – go to this link and download free. The said labor law was intensified on June 1, 2006.
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