'We can no longer afford to hire maids'

[N.O.R.F]

Abu Dhabi: Residents are complaining that the cost of employing a housemaid has become a burden on their monthly budget as several Asian nations have increased the minimum wage of housemaids from their countries.

 

Most housemaids in the UAE are from Asian countries such as India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

 

A.N., an Emirati in Abu Dhabi said his monthly expenses had gone up as he has to pay more for his two housemaids who are from the Philippines and India.

 

"Last year I had to increase the salary of my Filipina housemaid by 100 per cent. Now the same thing is happening with my Indian housemaid as the Indian Embassy has increased the minimum wage. Her contract has to be renewed soon", said A.N.

 

Another Emirati, who employs an Indian cook and a Filipino driver, told Gulf News that although increased wages affected his monthly budget he cannot think of other options.

 

"Both of them have been working at my home for more than two decades and have become a part of my family", said M.A.

 

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi on instructions from the Government of India increased the minimum wage for Indian housemaids from Dh600 to Dh1,100 on February 20.

 

Conditions

 

Conditions also demand that the minimum annual income of the employer be Dh10,000, a security deposit or bank guarantee for Dh9,200 must be made (if the housemaid is recruited directly from India) and there must be an Indian guarantor.

 

The prospective housemaid also has to be above 30 years old and she has to be given a mobile phone within two weeks of her arrival in the UAE. The employer and the housemaid have to visit the embassy or consulate to register her mobile phone number and address within two weeks, said a statement from the embassy.

 

Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad had earlier told Gulf News that 50 per cent of Indian housemaids in the UAE are employed by Indian expatriates in the country.

 

Although many Indian expatriates welcomed the new step as welfare measures for Indian housemaids, some Indian employers said the new conditions were unaffordable.

 

"I have been employing an Indian housemaid for 12 years and I think the increase of the minimum wage from Dh600 to Dh1,100 is too much," said G.M, an Indian secretary based in Abu Dhabi.

 

"It would be feasible if we did not need to pay a non-refundable annual fee of Dh5,000 at the naturalisation and residency department and medical insurance. Apart from those payments, we also meet all day-to-day expenses so the maid is able to save her entire salary," she added.

 

Sacrifice

 

Housemaids, however, expressed happiness on the new moves.

 

"We deserve the better wages not only for our hard work but for our sacrifices", said A.Z, an Indian housemaid.

 

"Like other expatriate workers it is not just the fact we miss our family back home but we always remain alert 24 hours", said A.Z.

 

Recruitment agencies said that the increase in the minimum wage for housemaids had had a mixed effect.

 

"The number of recruiters has gone down which has affected our income but then the number of complaints from housemaids has also gone down which relieves our headache," said an official from a recruitment agency in Abu Dhabi.

 

Monthly minimum wages

 

Philippines: Dh1,470

India: Dh1,100

Sri Lanka: Dh825

Indonesia: Dh800

Bangladesh: Dh750

Best Comments:

 

Oh my!! People may have to start actually doing their own household chores instead of depending on someone else to clean up after them. This is something the majority of the world already does as they can't afford to have someone from overseas do it for them. And these people who already do it do not see the chores as being beneath them or demeaning as they are a part of life.

Odette

Newcastle,Australia

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Society/10194832.html

 

I wonder what Hunguri will do?

[Faarax-Brawn]

They should out source this market to Africa

 

Philippines: Dh1,470

Why are Phillipinos paid more? Mhm!!

[Jacpher]

^They ain't descendants of no apes.

[sheherazade]

^more than the other Asians, he means.

[Baluug]

Originally posted by Northerner:

I wonder what Hunguri will do?

I wonder what you will do?

[Som@li]

Philippines: Dh1,470,that is abt $400 a month,Still it is not that expensive. what about Somalis? what is their rate?

 

I thought Hunguri had a Somali maid? walee UAE dadku waa lazy, a single man with a maid! :confused:

[peasant]

^ Single man with a maid ! That is highly unnatural or may be i am the only one with sick thoughts.

[Ms DD]

erm, yeah

A single man needs to eat, wear clean fresh clothes and not live in a pigsty

[Jacpher]

War ninka maa sida loo dhaamo.

 

Anyone actually regulates the maid business in that region of the world?

[Miriam1]

It is regulated in terms of their payrate, but thats where it stops, cases of abuse are increasing all the time. I feel for them, poor khaligees! slowly they will loose th prestige that comes with a filpino maid and driver and will have to settle for the cheaper bengalis..

[Haneefah]

^what's so presigious about Filipinas? And why are the other Asians such as Bengalis deemed cheap?

 

This raise seems quite reasonable. It's about time these overworked and mostly abused workers received some recognition and compensation for their hard work. Boy do they endure a lot working for those spoiled khaleegis.

[AfricaOwn]

Just import the Romanians to be maids if the filipinos wages have gone up

[Som@li]

There are as many maids from Somalia as from any other country in the GULF? Where do all these Somali people who try to cross the Red Sea end up? So if you think being a maid and Asians is cheap? What about Somalis? The way humans are exploited in these parts of the world is beyond belief.

 

Hunguri and Northern have a lot of clarifications to do. lol , Qarxis.com

[Jacaylbaro]

Waar Hunguri maa la iska daayo ,,,,

 

 

meesha shaqaaba ka banaan ma is tidhaahdeen ,,

[N.O.R.F]

LoL

 

We dont have a house maid cos we dont see we need one right now. Maybe later.