Kuwait-Manila labor talks to begin in Nov ---MANILA TIMES

KUWAIT: Official meetings between Kuwait and the Philippines are scheduled to begin at the start of next month on facilitating the return of Filipino workers to Kuwait, in line with discussions held between HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos during the recent Gulf Cooperation Council and ASEAN summit in Riyadh. Sources revealed the Philippines, which had imposed a ban on sending Filipino workers to Kuwait, saw in response Kuwait taking stringent measures to prevent the entry of Filipino workers, even those who had already obtained work visas before arriving in Kuwait. This situation adversely affected both countries, and now they are eager to resolve the issue. Kuwait, in particular, is in need of Filipino domestic workers due to a shortage in the domestic labor market, resulting in increased recruitment costs for families. This is exacerbated by Kuwait’s inability to secure new labor agreements with other countries. The sources further noted that the Filipino labor market was negatively impacted by the halt in recruiting their workers in Kuwait. It affected remittances from Filipino workers in Kuwait, while there is a significant number of Filipinos who wish to work in Kuwait and oppose the ban on their departure to the country. The meetings between Kuwait and the Philippines are set to begin next month, with the Kuwaiti Embassy in the Philippines engaging with relevant authorities in the Philippines to establish the procedures for resuming Filipino labor recruitment. Additionally, the two countries aim to implement recommendations that emerged from a prior informal meeting between labor recruitment agencies in the Philippines and Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices. These recommendations include a review of the labor agreement between the two nations to safeguard the rights of both employers and workers. It was emphasized that the Philippine embassy is committed to complying with Kuwaiti laws, especially in relation to issues like providing shelter to runaway workers. 13 hours ago

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