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Tuesday, February 22, 2022 –While safeguarding rights of workers in the Gulf nations, Qatar has today banned 12 rogue Kenyan recruitment agencies.
On Sunday February 20 after a long meeting was held between Central Organization of Trade Union COTU and Qatar Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh, it was decided that the 12 recruitment firms face an immediate axe working with clients in Qatar.
The 12 firms which have since been blacklisted are Starch, Anand, Sunrise, Dubai, Frame, Al Adam, Absher, Al Methaq, Resala, Altaaon, and Althabat.
Qatar government clarified that the 12 will no longer be allowed to carry on with the business in their country because they had blatantly violated the set labour standards. Samikh further added that the lives of Kenyans in their country was just as important as any other life and to stop the cases and complaints of brutality and underpayments, it was important to start enforcing the laws.
On his part, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli raised an issue with the Gulf country which he asked to safeguard Kenya’s exported labor.
He pointed out that there has been increased cases of death arising from employer’s deliberate attempts to frustrate helpless Kenyans seeking jobs there.
“The minister noted that they are currently in the process of cancelling the operations of Kenyan-owned employment agencies. At least 12 licenses have been cancelled so far,” Mr Atwoli said.
The Qatar labor Minister pledged to make sure that, going forward, all Kenyan workers in their country are safe and happy.
COTU observed that to make this work well, it was becoming necessary for governments to work together in monitoring the well-being of labour exported in the Gulf nations.
“Our position is that, like the Philippines, the Government of Kenya should embark on government-to-government agreements with the Government of Qatar. As such, the Qatari authorities will be directly responsible for anything happening to a Kenyan working in Qatar,” Atwoli said.
Of recent, cases of death have gone up as a result of brutality meted on Kenyan women who seek jobs in the Gulf Nation with Saudi Arabia having been notorious of this.
