Categories
News

Kuwait One of the Best Countries to Work in the Gulf

workers

According to the 2014 Global Rights Index by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman are the best countries to work in the Gulf and are on a par with working conditions in the US. The index was created based on 97 indicators such as whether employees were exposed to systematic physical violence, threats and intimidation, had the right to strike and were guaranteed protection under the law.

Kuwait came in category 4 which is similar to countries like the US but also similar to countries like Yemen and Iraq so factors like country stability and the social scene were obviously not included in the study. The 97 indicators are strictly related to workers rights and civil liberties. Check out the full study [Here]

Thanks Zainab
via Gulf Daily News

66 replies on “Kuwait One of the Best Countries to Work in the Gulf”

No.

Kuwait is ranked number 4 which means:
• Systematic violation of rights
• Score: 27-35
• Workers in countries with the rating of 4 have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers putting fundamental rights under continuous threat.

Workers rights and civil liberties in Kuwait is comparatively better than in UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia (where they don’t have civil liberties at all)

Ok. Now it makes sense. Always good to include some info about the ratings to make things clearer to your readers. Especially if you’re gonna use a title like, “Kuwait One of the Best Countries to Work in the Gulf”.

This doesn’t really make sense. “Physical violence by employer” is something that maids are subjected to. I really don’t believe there is any difference between Kuwait, Oman, UAE, or any other GCC country with regards to that.

However, if you look at the white collar worker rights in Kuwait, they are pretty decent. Although again I think the comparison with the US is far fetched. Yes the rules might be just as good on paper in Kuwait, but enforcement is always an issue here.

yes, civil liberties to Kuwaitis not the entire employment force which is 70% expats. the report does not segregate kuwaiti vs none kuwaiti, though funny enough the labor law in kuwait does. remember those workers that demonstrated because they didn’t get paid their salaries? they where under the risk of deportation.

I think they have taken into consideration just the laws on paper. Whether it is applied or not is a whole different story. Case in point, employer holding the passport of the employee. Even though it is illegal, it is widely practiced.

They have taken into consideration violations in law and violations in practice
https://survey.ituc-csi.org/Kuwait.html?lang=en#tabs-1

The survey is based on:
– Civil liberties
– The right to establish or join unions
– Trade union activities
– Right to strike
– Right to collective bargaining

Kuwait has established trade unions. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE don’t allow trade unions.

yeah right! who did the survey exactly, the people who never came to the Kuwait in their life and dont know shit abt kuwait.

Kuwait is number 4 which means:
• Systematic violation of rights
• Score: 27-35
• Workers in countries with the rating of 4 have reported systematic violations. The government and/or companies are engaged in serious efforts to crush the collective voice of workers putting fundamental rights under continuous threat.

If workers in the UAE don’t have rights, and further less rights than Kuwait, than why are workers far more happier in the UAE than Kuwait? The customer service level in stores, the same stores that are in Kuwait is far better in the UAE with a smiling staff. Go around the Avenues, people are miserable. I know that American companies in Kuwait don’t follow labor laws that they must follow in the US and openly abuse labor laws (Kuwait and US). These same companies in the UAE follow UAE labor laws and suddenly act professional?@#$#

The only happy workers in UAE are Westerners and highly skilled professionals with high salaries. Most workers in UAE are poorly paid unskilled South Asian migrants

UAE has a much higher migrant death toll than Kuwait does, every week many South Asian construction workers die in UAE

Workers in UAE aren’t allowed to join unions. They have literally no civil liberties, freedom of speech is non-existent in UAE. Trade unions are illegal in UAE. Workers in UAE don’t have the right to strike.

I don’t care what this article says, it just doesn’t add up. It makes one wonder if Kuwait paid someone to write this article? You say there are no civil liberties in the UAE and freedom of speech is non-existent, but many residents of Kuwait are writing in the UAE papers complaining about how their civil liberties are abused in Kuwait so apparently they are not allowed to write this in Kuwait. If south Asian construction workers are so unhappy in the UAE, then why are they all wearing proper safety gear, climbing on proper scaffoldings on construction projects and trying to work these jobs in Kuwait because they are so abused in the UAE? Answer to my comment, have you been to the Avenues? Compare the demeanor of a worker in the same restaurant in Dubai, measure the customer service level that you receive in Dubai and the quality of the food. The overall dining experience between Kuwait and Dubai. People are much happier working in Dubai if they are a construction worker, cleaning worker, a taxi driver, a waiter in a restaurant or working in a store, the same stores in Kuwait. You will note the difference in their attitudes, demeanor and YOUR customer service level. “Workers in UAE aren’t allowed to join unions. They have literally no civil liberties, freedom of speech is non-existent in UAE. Trade unions are illegal in UAE. Workers in UAE don’t have the right to strike.” So what! They are happier than workers in Kuwait. Bottom-line is this though, you can tell a lot of about a country in their airport immigration, that is pretty much the template of how you will be treated in that country. I am treated like dirt in Kuwait immigration and treated with professionalism in Dubai immigration. This says a lot to me and I am blinded by the smiling faces in Dubai, not the scowling ones around Kuwait. People overall are miserable in Kuwait. Case in point! A lot has to do with the satisfaction people feel in the UAE with their good government.

An article didn’t claim anything. The International Trade Union Confederation released their annual Global Rights Index
https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/survey_ra_2014_eng_v2.pdf

The International Trade Union Confederation doesn’t accept bribes from anyone.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) is the world’s largest trade union federation. The ITUC represents 176 million workers through its 325 affiliated organisations within 161 countries.

What relevance does Avenues have to do with this? You are very biased. Most people in Kuwait are not miserable. Your opinion is based on your personal emotions, not the facts on the ground.

The International Trade Union Confederation is far more reliable than your personal emotions, stop with the bias

The world’s biggest trade union federation has explicitly listed the criteria they use to measure workers rights, read it: https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/survey_ra_2014_eng_v2.pdf

Lol the customer service in UAE is trash, average guy gets a store job and thinks he owns the store now

UAE is scary place. If you are not shiekh or big investor, you are totally screwed. The laws are shady, and you have no one to back you up, no unions, no open press, just nothing.

This is crap. Companies in Kuwait openly violate employee rights. Big companies also do the same. Because in Kuwait if u have a Kuwaiti sponsor, then you can break all rules. Mafi muskilla. Screw the labor laws, screw shoon. Screw all those poor underpaid workers. Kuwaiti policy is to agree on international level and disagree locally.

ive decided not to pay attention to these anymore.

there are thousands of unreported worker violatons in Kuwait. I have worked for two PROMINENT cmpanies with forward thinking westerm educated local bosses. One refused to pay me my indemnity – the other – well passport confiscation.

no point in reporting these right? i can reel off a list of companies right now that confiscate passports.

You are right, companies in Kuwiat that confiscate employees’ passports:
Diyar United
Bader Al Mulla
Alghanim Industries

to name a few…

colour me mine in Marina Mall – dunno if they do it anymore but they certainly did it in the past

there I said it

No one is denying this happens, read the report

Page 20-21 https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/survey_ra_2014_eng_v2.pdf

The report is simply measuring workers rights in Kuwait. Kuwait has the second worst category ranking (Category 4), which means systematic violations and abuse. The worst category in workers rights is Category 5

However, workers rights in Kuwait is better than in Qatar, KSA and UAE

Compared to KSA, UAE and Qatar, workers in Kuwait have a higher degree of civil liberties, right to join unions, right to strike and have the right to collective bargaining (unlike KSA, UAE and Qatar)

Workers in Qatar, UAE and KSA are excluded from collective labour rights, workers in Kuwait aren’t excluded from collective labour rights

Whether we like it or not and are willing to accept it or not Kuwait was and still is the most preferred work place destination for most Arab and South East Asian expats, in the region period. Warts and all, Kuwait fares far better than the Emirates does on savings potential which is a crucial determinant for migrant workers (skilled or semi-skilled)looking for jobs overseas. Sometimes I even forget the Emirates is a country. To my mind, it is more of a hypermarket than a nation.

It’s another thing that the pirate states (UAE) are heavily invested on Western spin doctors whose remit it is to spin and to only view life in the Emirates through rose tinted glasses.

was my friend was, you are reminiscing the past like all of us. expats right now prefer anywhere but kuwait. in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain they can buy homes, get life time residence, open businesses, get loans and enjoy rights that are few steps away from being nationals.

Matt, its not so simple…In Kuwait holding a western passport gives them a lot of rights compared to other nations. human rights in Kuwait and gcc is terrible mainly for the unskilled workers. Its a reality

Holding a Western passport doesn’t give an expatriate lots of rights compared to other nations

The Kuwaiti government has deported lots of Western expats for petty crimes in recent times

Unskilled workers are treated terribly in all parts of the world, not just the GCC

It’s a reality

1.Your quote “Unskilled workers are treated terribly in all parts of world,not just GCC ”
I guess you are a Kuwaiti. You obviously have not seen the world. I have been to Spain, UK, Germany, Australia, India, Srilanka and few others and none of these countries has such level of abuse for unskilled workers as they have in GCC. In all these countries no company snatches your passport, withhold salaries for many months etc. Some sort of abuse does happen , but in that case the workers leaves the job and has freedom to do as he likes. Not like the GCC where they are in a Master-Slave like relationship. Look at the Cleaners, Drivers , Maids in GCC they hardly have any rights!! Any abuse, non-payment of salaries , beatings do not bring about criminal charges against the notorious sponsor (unless it is severe/fatal injury to the worker).If a worker runs away from the sponsors house it is a crime (no-matter if the worker has suffered abuse).You can see the depravity of the law in this case where it was clearly designed to protect the Local citizen from oppressing the worker.

I have personally come across so many workers(drivers, maids & cleaners ) who have suffered from lack of payment for months and they have no legal rights . And in the end they had to get away from the sponsor with an understanding that they will not be paid for what they worked if they wanted release from him.

Remember the oppression done on others will come back sooner or later. History has so many examples.

khalid:

The majority of people in the world live in the Third World, not the First World (Europe, North America, Australia)

Many unskilled workers in the 3rd world get their passports snatched

Unskilled workers are treated VERY terribly in India and Sri Lanka, you can’t deny this. Haven’t you seen the Caste system? Haven’t you heard of the ‘Untouchables’ in India? The Master-Slave mentality is deeply ingrained in Indian society

There are many workers in India who have suffered from lack of payment for months and they have no rights due to the Caste System. India has prevalent slavery due to the Caste System

Unskilled workers are treated worse than slaves in India

Have you been to Nepal? Seen how they treat their own people? Unskilled workers in Nepal are treated worse than slaves.

Unskilled workers are treated worse than slaves in most parts of South Asia and the Master-Slave mentality is deeply ingrained in most South Asian societies.

The GCC is among the best places in the Third World in terms of workers treatment and salary

Reading comprehension people.

1 – Kuwait came in Category 4. Thats like saying it got a D (with F being the lowest) on a report card, a pretty crappy grade (category).

2 – The “Kuwait Sux Brigade” is out in full force lol. Lots of people jumping on this cause they assume it says something good about Kuwait and we know how allergic these people are about anything positive regarding Kuwait.

i feel like a lot of readers of this blog are just incomparably ignorant or not capable of nuanced thought. Sometimes responsibility and duty outweigh having a ‘nice time’

people go to war because they believe they are doing something important. No one will then come back and say – war – it really was the nicest time we had. Just because ppl here havent had the same experiences as MAJORITY of the expats (please know that western expats this does not include you) doesnt mean they they can claim their experience for others. Same with me – i am not a kuwait fan, but will stay as long as it takes care of the things im responsible for for me and my famly.

hopefully you understand now?

I always understood, but it’s disrespectful to come into someone else’s country, complain about it for 20 years, then say “well I’m only staying because of a familial obligation” as if that excuses the fact that we have to hear how shitty you think our country is whenever you have the chance.

You’re acting like a familial obligation excuses any other behavior when there’s no reason Kuwait HAS to be the one fulfilling your obligations. Instead of being thankful for the fact that it allows you to do so you trash it for not being fully accommodating to you in every other way.

It is not disrespectful too complain about the place you live and work in. If you don’t want to hear our complains then don’t. Go mind your own business, or complain to your government to stop letting foreigners in, because it’s human to complain about things your believe are wrong. It’s not natural to have to eat shit and not say anything about it. Even if you’re getting a cookie with the shit. You want us to thank you for the cookie, what about the shit?

I don’t understand your defensive mentality. It’s so strange. Criticism can be good.

I have lived all my life in Kuwait,not once I have never been treated badly. People who really hate kuwait, should go back to their Home country.

Because of course, no Kuwaiti could ever have a problem with Kuwait 😉

I second the “Western” question, except to that I add, “Are you American? They get awfully protective of all that land they stole”

Someone’s going to read this, put 2 and 2 together, and get 11.
To clarify: I don’t think the US stole Kuwait. This is in reference to Americans being awfully fond of hurling “Go back to your own country” at undocumented immigrants.

Fact is people rather stay in Kuwait undocumented or with their visa expired you can bitch all you want but that’s the reality on the ground that’s why Kuwait have very strict low for people coming in but i do think Kuwait need alot of improvement.

The fact that western expats get their driving license in a few weeks while there’s the La Mane3 2 year law for Arab nationals to get theirs displays a big discrimantory question marks ! There’s a lot of other rights discrimination (Salary, position, medical insurance and other benefits to name a few)when it comes to your origins especially in private white collar jobs whether you are from the west, middle east, or east Asia even if they all got the same degree with a similar experience…. That is just sad in Kuwait as an Arab country !

If you are employed by the right people here it can be an amazing place to work and live. If you work for a company that does not operate under Kuwait Labor law, treats their employees badly and screws you out of money, time off and makes you pay for your own visa runs it can be pretty miserable work wise. But you can still make the best of the country on your off days. If you put in a little effort and positivity Kuwait even with its shortcomings can be really cool. I do feel badly for the low paid workers who do all the civil service jobs. The hours, working conditions and lack of safety precautions are pretty crazy.

People with low skills, low education and those who simply do not bring anything significant to the table will be treated less than ideally anywhere, not just Kuwait.

but does it make any difference if the unskilled worker speaks arabic or not? Imagine you are an arab employing a foreign housemaid, and every time you want something or ask your foreign driver (who probavely don’t speak arabic or english) to go somewhere and use only sign language, how, as an employer would you feel? foreign unskilled workers should put huge emphasis on learning at least the arabic before even thinking of comming and working in any arab countries.period.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *