Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has set a monthly minimum wage of $200 (KD60) for domestic helpers.
The decision was announced on Saturday in a bid to settle rising disputes between maids and their employers or recruitment offices.
The new law requires companies recruiting foreign maids to submit a KD4,000 bank guarantee valid for two years at the time of its establishment or renewal of its license.
It also grants domestic workers mandatory weekends, eight hours limited daily work, and a 30-day paid annual leave as well as the right to demand overtime pay for extra working hours.
The law prohibitions the employment of maids who are under 20 years or above 50 years of age.
It specifies one maid for families of four members, two maids for families of eight members, and three maids for families of more than eight members.
In addition, it requires an end of service pay, equivalent to a month’s pay, for domestic helpers including maids, private drivers, babysitters and cooks.
There are about 600,000 domestic workers currently in Kuwait. Most of them are of Asian nationality.
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