Authorities say workers will be able to change jobs without employers’ permission.
Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia are now able to change jobs without the consent of their employers following the long-awaited labor reforms in the Gulf’s most populous country. take action.
In November last year, the country’s ministry of human resources and social development announced plans to change the Kafala system under which workers are tied to a single employer who can only renew or restore their residence and working status in the country. end.
Rights groups have said the system makes workers, especially those who work in construction and do domestic work, vulnerable with employers.
Employer reports of issuing employee passports, forcing them to work excessive hours and denying them wages are not uncommon.
Saudi is claiming today that it has eliminated kafala, but there are still big gaps. The reforms exclude 4 mill workers on short-term visas; migrant workers still need an MHRSD permit for exit / entry; and immigrant workers remain vulnerable to false exit costs by employers. @EquidemOrg https://t.co/mrLfGwu0yy
– Namrata Raju (@namrataraju) March 14, 2021
Under the revised nationwide system, migrant workers can change jobs when their contract of employment expires.
Employees will also be able to transfer jobs through the validity of their contract as long as they notify their employers within a specified time.
Employees will also be exempt from “departure authority”, allowing unlimited travel without the consent of employers.
The reform does not completely abolish the leave permit, workers still have to apply to MHRSD to leave the Kingdom. The MHRSD will then notify the employer electronically of the departure of their employees. It remains to be seen if / how employers can hinder this process.
– Migration Rights (@MigrantRights) March 13, 2021
Provision is also being made for employees who do not receive employment contracts or who have not been paid their wages, authorities said.
Several countries in the Gulf have, in recent years, reformed their Kafala system, which was once common throughout the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council.
However, critics say abuse will continue as long as a work and residence visa is attached to a “Kafeel” or patron.