Gulf jobs attract Telangana, Andhra Pradesh women

Hyderabad: At least 450 women from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh migrate to Gulf countries every week in search of work. And the highest migration so far has been to Saudi Arabia.

As per the ministry of overseas Indian affairs, 29,637 ECR category workers were given emigration clearances till 2013.

There are also 1,691 Indians in Saudi jails for offences ranging from fake iqamas, immoral relationships, traffic accidents, drug trafficking and illegal liquor sale.

However, more and more domestic workers from India and are now queuing up to work in Saudi Arabia post the contract signed between the countries. Saudi Arabia has started issuing recruitment visas for maids as per the bilateral labour contract signed in January this year.

The agreement will ensure proper authenticity and implementation of the contract, pay, action against violation of laws and also a mechanism to prevent cheating by middlemen. The agreement is for five years and will be renewed automatically for similar periods. Even 24-hour assistance has been established for the workers.

“Many women workers from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Bihar go to Saudi for work. Many women from Nizamabad, Kadapa, East and West Godavari, and even from Hyderabad, Anantapur, Chittoor and Vizag have been heading to Gulf countries every week. Every Monday, there are about 200 women and every Thursday  another 150 women at the POE (Protection of Emigrants) office. Women head more than 30 per cent of households in these regions and hence they are forced to find work. Many do not have fertile land to grow crops and all their earnings and savings are wasted by their drunk husbands. This is one of the reasons why most of them leave the country. Some are even fed up of the patriarchal mindset and find this as an easy way out,” said Sister Lissie Joseph, state coordinator, National Domestic Workers Union.

However, she was also critical of the fact that the minimum wage as per the contract was not very high and was almost equal to the minimum wage in India. “If they go and work there, they will earn just about Rs 12,000, whereas if they stay here, they earn about Rs 10,000. Many commission agents lure them and they get influenced. Our minimum wages must be higher, because Saudi will decide (its minimum wages) based on Indian standards. India should ratify the convention on domestic workers and migrant workers and social security must be extended and a standard contract based on ILO with a reference wage.”

Bangladesh is now giving a compulsory 11-month pre-departure training to domestic workers on the kind of attire, language, food, house maintenance, domestic case and embassy issues and paperwork.

The Migrants Rights Council has also called for more clarity on the agreement about the kind of facilities, with minimum wage and protection for Indian domestic workers.