Government officials are exercising to set standard salary of Nepali migrant workers. “We are revising current salary structure,” said secretary at Ministry of Labour and Transport Management Dr Ram Hari Aryal. “New salary structure will be effective in next couple of months.”

 

According to him, the ministry is revising the salary of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Malaysia. Those destinations have hired over 90 per cent of the total 3.5 million Nepalis working in foreign job markets.

 

“We have written Nepali diplomatic missions in those countries to explore salary rates in the job markets and suggest new salary structure,” he said, adding that the government will fix the new salary according to their advice.

 

Currently, salary offered in major job destinations is the lowest to Nepali migrant workers as majority of migrant workers are unskilled. Filipino workers are the highest paid in Gulf countries followed by Sri Lankan, and Indian workers. Minimum earning of a Filipino migrant worker is around $320 while Nepalis earn just $125.

 

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, about 71 per cent Nepali migrant workers are unskilled, 28 per cent are semi-skilled and just one per cent are skilled or professionals. Nepalis are earning around Malaysian Ringgit (MR) 546 ($172) in Malaysia but it has started to hike minimum salary to MR 950 ($299).

 

Current pay

Qatar QR 800

Malaysia MR 546

Other Gulf states $125 

Algeria $300

Poland $400

Canada $2,720

Libya $175

Israel $1,200 

South Korea $970 

(Source: Ministry of Labour and Transport Management)