Indonesia, one of the major countries that sends workers to Saudi Arabia, has imposed a travel ban to Saudi Arabia after talks over the dispute regarding housemaids broke down.

The Indonesian government issued a travel ban to Saudi Arabia and to Jordan, Kuwait and Syria on Thursday after the Saudi government refused to provide labour and legal rights to Indonesian workers, Migrant Rights, a non-governmental organisation reported.

Negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia regarding the rights of domestic workers recently failed after Saudi Arabia declined the Indonesian government’s request for a 60 per cent salary hike. The negotiations were meant to curb earlier schisms between the two nations, including Saudi’s ban on Indonesian domestic workers two months ago.

Indonesia, in the past, has imposed travel bans to Saudi Arabia. The bans were lifted after Saudi Arabia promised to institute specific reforms and showed signs of progress. But the reforms in Saudi Arabia have been too slow and cannot accommodate the demand for workers’ rights from countries sending workers.

About 6.36 million migrants are working in Saudi Arabia and about 130,000 are Indonesian workers. Indonesia has asked the Saudi government for a rise in monthly salaries to Saudi Riyal (SAR) 1,200 (US $320) but Saudi Arabia has been insisting on SAR 800.

Saudi Arabia has been facing a shortage of about 150,000 housemaids but source countries like Nepal, the Philippines and African countries are refusing to send domestic workers at low salaries. They are also demanding labour rights for women migrant workers.

Saudi Arabia currently offers around SAR 800 to housemaids. Nepal set a minimum salary of SAR 1,000 (Rs 22,000) along with strict provisions for hiring Nepali women as housemaids in December 2011.

Nepal has asked for a security guarantee from employers, timely salaries and regular communication facility with family members.

About 600,000 Nepali migrants are working in the kingdom and around 15,000 of them are women. However, UN Women has estimated that there are more than 63,000 Nepali women in the destination.

Published on: 26 May 2012 | The Himalayan Times