Kuwaiti agencies reject Manila's decision to triple pay floor for Filipine maids

Kuwait's recruitment agencies have voiced their rejection to Philippine government's recent decision to triple pay floor for Filipine maids employed in Kuwait, describing it as "unfair and unacceptable", daily Arab Times reported in Kuwait City Sunday.

The measure would prompt them "to close the door on Filipino domestic helpers", the recruitment agencies were quoted as saying.

The Philippine government has recenty claimed a triple payment for all Filipine maids work in Kuwait, after the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry recently set the minimum monthly wage for all domestic helpers at 45 dinars (about 153 dollars).

Under a decision issued recently by the Philippines, Filipine maids in Kuwait must have a contract with a minimum salary of 120 Kuwaiti dinars (about 408 U.S. dollars) per month.

Hashem Majed, a manager of the Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices, expressed his surprise over the decision, saying it would negatively affect the flow of Filipine workers into Kuwait.

"Given the high salary of the Filipine maids, recruitment agencies will now prefer to hire domestic helpers from other countries," he said.

Source: Xinhua