Fraudulent job agencies taken to task

Rasika SOMARATHNA

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has temporarily suspended six employment agencies, which were found to have cheated over 200 janitorial employees in Kuwait of their wages.

In addition, the Government has decided to impose a temporary halt to send janitors to Kuwait pending a thorough investigation.

SLBFE Chairman Kingsley Ranawaka said these six agencies had promised the workers a monthly salary of 60 Dinars before departure, but the employers in Kuwait had only paid 40 Dinars.

Following this incident, the SLBFE had notified private agencies not to make any fresh recruitments to this category in Kuwait, till the Bureau concluded an inquiry. Ranawaka said he had sent Additional General Manager, L.K.Ruhunuge to make an on the spot inquiry. A separate probe has been initiated by the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry of Kuwait. The six local recruitment agencies responsible for sending these workers would be taken to task if found guilty, with the possible annulment of their licence, the Chairman noted.

He said that in the future, no migrant worker would be sent to Kuwait, for a salary less than KD 60 and the work agreement would be examined by the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait before giving the green light.