Cabinet approves agreement with Kuwait to safeguard domestic workers

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the signing of an agreement with Kuwait to safeguard three lakh Indians working as domestic workers there and to provide a structured framework for cooperation on matters related to them.

Briefing the media here on the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was "a significant step" in ensuring the safety, security and dignity of service conditions of those domestic workers that include 90,000 women.

There are nine lakh Indians living in Kuwait, of which three lakh are domestic workers.

"Issues about their safety, working conditions, need to work with dignity were being raised. Appointments, service conditions, leave, and safety from contract breaches are part of the MoU. Kuwait government has also agreed to it," Prasad said. 

The MoU will be initially valid for a period of five years and it has a provision for automatic renewal.

Prasad said over 90 lakh Indians stay in various Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. 

Citing Modi's visit to Qatar and Yemen, he said the agreement was part of the larger process to ensure the safety of Indian expatriates.