UAE and Kenya sign MoU on domestic workers

Dubai: The UAE and Kenya have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the field of domestic workers.

The MoU regulates the recruitment of Kenyan domestic workers as part of efforts to implement transparent procedures in all phases of the contractual work. The memorandum also includes a cooperation agreement on domestic workers.

The memorandum was signed by Nasser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and Yatani Kanacho, Kenya’s Minister of Labour and Social Protection.

The MoU stipulates that an employer has to present an offer that contains detailed information about the rights and duties of the employer and employee, and terms and conditions. The relevant Kenyan Government body will then ensure that the employee approves of the contractual terms and signs the contract. The offer will contain a work permit application, which will be submitted by the employer to the ministry.

The offer will be extracted from the ministry’s database once the employee arrives in the UAE. Once both parties sign the contract, it will be registered officially as a legal contract in the ministry’s database. An original copy each of the contract will be provided to the employer and employee.

The contract cannot be altered or changed unless it serves the interest of the employee and is approved by the ministry.

In the case of a dispute between the employee and the employer, the complaint will be registered at the ministry’s specialised department, which will seek a friendly settlement between both parties within a certain time frame. If a friendly settlement is not reached, the department will refer the complaint to the judicial authorities.

As per the cooperation agreement, the process for accepting and recruiting Kenyan domestic workers to the UAE will be easier, and they will be employed according to the bylaws of the UAE’s domestic workers law, as well as Kenyan legislation and regulations on foreign recruitment. The two legislative frameworks will ensure legal protection for Kenyan domestic workers from the moment they are recruited and until their arrival in the UAE.

The agreement also stipulates that only private recruitment agencies that are licensed and registered in the UAE can submit the employers’ requests for recruiting Kenyan domestic workers. Likewise, only licensed agencies in Kenya will be able to submit the names and information of domestic workers who are eligible for approved and available job opportunities.