New KSA rules to cut job for foreigners
Many of around 20 lakh Bangladeshis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fear job cuts with the introduction of new rules meant to create more employment for locals.
"Nitaqat", a programme announced in June, makes it mandatory for the employers in the kingdom to recruit 20 to 30 percent Saudi nationals.
The so-called "Saudization", which goes into effect from September 10, had raised concerns among the expatriates across the kingdom, largest labour market for Bangladesh.
If a firm completely fails to abide by the rule, it will not be allowed to further recruit foreigners or renew work permits of the existing ones.
Companies partly following "Nitaqat" will be able to renew work permits only to those foreigners who have served less than six years in Saudi Arabia.
Around 2.5 lakh of some 20 lakh Bangladeshis there work as doctors, engineers, accountants and managers. Others are employed in small businesses, construction, maintenance and cleaning sectors.
Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh mission's second secretary (labour) in Riyadh, said the new programme could affect some professionals and those working in managerial posts, but not the workers. The Saudis would never do the cleaning, maintenance or construction works.
Ali Haider Chowdhury, secretary general of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, said the country must act promptly to negotiate with the Saudi government so that its workers are not made scapegoats of the system.
"The government should study the Saudi programme to act promptly."
However, this is not the first spark of "Saudization".
The Saudi government had already been restricting job transfers of Bangladeshis for the last three years, said officials and expatriates in the oil-rich country.
Foreigners also bear the brunt of employers' failure in paying premiums for social insurance of workers.
"Saudi authorities are not renewing our work permits as our employer has not paid premium for our social insurance," said Fazlur Rahman, a Bangladeshi working at a telecom company in Riyadh.
The company never bothered to pay the premium, he said. As the outstanding amount grew high, the Saudi government blacklisted the firm and stopped renewing their permits.
"I live here with my family. My daughter is scheduled to go to the US for studies, but cannot leave only because my work permit is not being renewed," said Fazlur Rahman.
Fakhrul Basher Masum, who has been working there for many years, estimated around 10,000 Bangladeshis are stranded there because of the rule. Around a thousand companies were blacklisted for defaulting on paying premiums.
The foreigners cannot go back home even if they want to return forever. Even if an expatriate dies, the rule prohibits sending the body home. "Why should the foreigners suffer for employers' fault?" he said.
Haroon Or Rashid, first secretary (labour) at Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh, said the rule is in place for long, but not been enforced. Now that Saudi government is strictly enforcing it, the defaulter companies and their foreign workers could be in trouble.
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