Maid problems

Remittances are an integral part of Sri Lanka’s economy, not only because it provides much-needed foreign exchange earnings but also because it directly affects the lives of thousands of women. Ensuring that these women are protected from exploitation and given their rightful pay is at the core of their empowerment.  

But the whole system of how migrant workers, especially housemaids, are recruited and sent to the Middle East is fraught with problems. Workers rights and welfare is compromised on many levels and the Government in its latest move is attempting to deal with the agents who have long enjoyed impunity in this process. In fact Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva has gone so far as to call them a “mafia” for exploiting the poverty of Sri Lanka to make excessive profits. 

According to the Deputy Minister, local job agents charge 25,000 Saudi Riyals (close to Rs. 1,000,000) from Saudi employers for each Sri Lankan sent to work in Saudi Arabia through the agency. By contrast Saudi employers pay less than 15,000 Saudi Riyals for non-Sri Lankans resulting them in getting part of the commission.  

In addition, the salary paid to Sri Lankan workers remains the lowest at 1,125 Saudi Riyals (about Rs. 45,000), while other nationalities obtained close to 1,500 Saudi Riyals. Before January 2016, the minimum salary was only 900 Saudi Riyals (Rs. 35,000). The ministry is already in negotiations with Saudi authorities to increase the salary to 1,500 Saudi Riyals (Rs. 60,000) but the agents also need to be regulated to ensure workers get their full payment. 

The Deputy Minister alleged that there is an ‘agency mafia’ operating for a long time in the country, and has been exploiting unsuspecting workers who depend on them to find work. Fraudulently operating agents use a myriad of ways to gain their commission, often sacrificing the welfare of the workers. Some are taken without being registered by the Government and therefore are unaware that part of the agent’s commission should be passed down as an advance payment to the worker. Others are encouraged to jump ship or cannot leave abusive work environments because of crooked job agents. 

Currently 272 workers are waiting for their exit permits at safe houses operated in the Middle East, some because their employers are disgruntled at having to pay out commissions without the contract being honoured.  

Around 1.2 million Sri Lankans work abroad and about 300,000 of them are in Saudi Arabia, mostly as maids.  Close to 35% fewer maids went to the kingdom last year, as an economic slowdown weighed on demand for their services and concern about the treatment of maids hurt supply.  Around 25,000 Sri Lankan maids went to Saudi Arabia last year compared with around 39,000 the previous year, according to the Sri Lanka Foreign Employees Bureau. 

Sri Lanka depends upon earnings of its overseas workers. As much as the equivalent of 12% of the island’s gross national product is generated in remittances. However, remittance growth has been slowing. Last year it shrank to just under 1%, a sharp decline from 9.5% growth the year before. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka called the deceleration a “worrying sign” and despite the increase of 7.6% in January concerns remain that unless workers are treated equitably the problem will get worse.