348 Cleaners’ Job In Saudi Arabia
Agencies charge higher than they appraised ministry
Although the recruiting agencies have appraised the expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry of arranging jobs for 348 cleaners in Saudi Arabia with a migration cost of Tk 17,400 for each they were found charging the workers almost double the cost they showed. The local recruiting agencies—Dahmashi Corporation Ltd, RL No-727 and Kiswa Enterprise Ltd, RL No-573—have so far placed their recruitment demands for 178 and 170 workers respectively to the ministry for permission, according to officials.
Each cleaning labourer will get a monthly wage of 600-700 Saudi Riyal (Tk 12,000 to 14,000), the officials said referring to documents of those recruiting agencies.
Nurul Islam, joint secretary (employment) of the ministry, told New Age that the recruiting agencies submitted break-up of the migration cost– Tk 5,000 medical fee, Tk 2,600 visa stamping fee, Tk 7,000 service charge, Tk 300 airport tax and Tk 2,500 welfare fund fee.
When contacted, marketing manager of Kiswa enterprise Anwar Hossain told New Age that they have already selected the workers for Saudi Arabia for cleaning jobs.
He, however, admitted that they took Tk 35,000 from each of the workers including one-way airfare of Tk 17,500.
When his attention was drawn to higher charges, EWOE minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told New Age on Monday that the government would take action against the recruiting agencies for charging higher amount.
He said the migration cost for Middle East and GCC countries has been reduced as the employers agreed to provide the airfare of the workers.
‘The migration cost for Saudi Arabia will come down to Tk 17,400 from 7-8 lakh per worker,’ he said.
The private recruiting agents would have to work as representatives of the government, otherwise they would be dealt with strong hands, the minister said.
‘If they (private recruiters) think that they are independent entity and they are sending workers abroad on their own, they will not get the support of the ministry,’ he said.
He emphasised on sending more skilled labourers after preparing them with proper training from the country’s technical training centers.
-With New Age input
