Following the 5-year timeline set by the Kuwaiti government to realize its goal of bringing in more nationals into the labour force, new measures are being introduced to cut down the number of expats working in both the public and private sectors.
Some of these measures include raising qualifications and requirement standards, adding documentary requirements such as health certifications as well as insurance coverage, and setting an age limit for foreign workers allowed to stay and renew their work permits in the country, among others.
Over 3,000 Expats Expected to be Dismissed by 2020
In line with this, the Central Service Commission (CSC) called out state departments on behalf of the cabinet and urged them to make use of the summer period to come up with lists of expatriates who must be laid off in order to implement the five-year plan to replace them with national manpower, particularly in administrative jobs, as shared in a report by the Kuwait Times.
The lists are expected to be turned in to the CSC by January so that 3,000 or more expat employees expected to be laid off could be notified by the beginning of the new fiscal year.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Education is also expected to cut down on expat administrative staff members and teachers who could be replaced by Kuwaitis, following the instruction to various state departments to reduce the number of expat advisers and consultants.
Meanwhile, the education ministry has announced that it has already accomplished its lists of expat teachers and administrative staff members to be laid off. Education undersecretary Dr. Soud Al-Harbi signed the lists pending the notification of the concerned employees so that they can start their termination procedures.
And while foreign domestic workers are not affected by the government’s nationalisation programme, they have plenty of other issues that need resolution from the Kuwaiti government. Among these include the cases of abuse, violence, and maltreatment.
This being the case, there are things Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait can do to gain leverage over their work situation in the country:
- Establish Trust with your Employer.
Just like any kind of relationship, trust is not so easily established and it takes time to build. More often than not, this will also be the case with your employer. Also, keep in mind that certain challenges will not make this process any easier, such as language barrier as well as cultural differences. Despite all these, the only way you can overcome the challenges is to keep communication lines open, and to work hard.
- Know Your Rights.
As part of the pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS) and post-arrival orientation seminar (PAOS), overseas Filipino workers are provided with training in the form of lecture and discussions regarding their basic rights as migrant workers and foreign residents specific to their host country. This is very important in ensuring one’s safety and welfare overseas, and must be taken to heart by every OFW, wherever they may be in the world.
- Let Your Work Speak for your Character.
Despite the cultural differences and language barrier, every nationality understands what hard work is. Any employer can see their employee’s quality of work, and most of the time, this is enough to convince them that you can be trusted and are responsible enough to know what to do to take care of yourself, and to take on more responsibilities and duties they may need you to help them with.
Every work is an opportunity to improve oneself and the most basic thing to understand about working overseas (or working in general) is to always give your best in everything you do. It may not come without any challenges, but it only makes the experience more meaningful and fulfilling in the long run.