Thread by @EquidemOrg

Today changes to #SaudiArabia’s labour law come into effect. The government says this ends the exploitative #kafala system. But @Equidem is concerned the reforms do not address discriminatory laws and policies that put millions of #migrantworkers at risk of #modernslavery. 1/18

Saudi Arabia hosts the third-largest migrant population in the world; foreign workers account for about a third of Saudi Arabia’s 30 million population and more than 80 per cent of the kingdom’s private-sector workforce. 2/18

Previously, migrant workers in Saudi Arabia were required to be sponsored by an employer to work in the country. They had to seek the permission of their employer to change jobs, open a bank account, travel out of the country and do other administrative tasks. 3/18

The new laws appear to eliminate these restrictions for migrant workers employed in the private sector in certain types of jobs, such as construction, hospitality, oil and gas, and infrastructure works. But, as ever, the devil is in the detail. 4/18

The reforms do not apply to nearly 4 million women and men working as domestic workers, farmers, gardeners, drivers, and security guards, or those on short-term visas. Workers in these sectors are among the most at risk from modern slavery and other labour exploitation. 5/18

All migrant workers will still need to seek permission from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to leave or enter the country, and can only transfer to another job after a year of employment or at the end of their contract. 6/18

It remains a crime for migrant workers to ‘abscond’ from their employer, and employers can easily report an individual as an abscondee (also known as a ‘huroob’). This immediately invalidates their work visa and places them outside the protection of the labour law. 7/18

Saudi Arabia has historically allowed conditions to flourish that lead to the abuse, exploitation, and dehumanization of migrant workers. #COVID19 has rapidly worsened conditions for workers, but these new laws simply do not address the root of the problem. 8/18

We have heard from workers about what they’re experiencing, and we know what needs to be done to enact real change. Our hope is that Saudi Arabia chooses to put some action behind its rhetoric and show the world it’s serious about improving conditions for migrant workers. 9/18

What would Saudi Arabia need to do to respect its obligations under international human rights and labour rights conventions and standards? Here's a list of concrete steps: 10/18

✅ Allow all categories of workers to exercise their rights to freely change their employer and leave the country as and when they wish to. 11/18

✅Remove the crime of absconding from Saudi law, and put in place protections against retaliation from employers for workers who make complaints about their treatment, or seek to change jobs or leave the country. 12/18

✅End racial discrimination of migrant workers by providing employment health and other protections and benefits to all women men and children without distinction exclusion restriction or preference based on race colour descent national or ethnic origin gender or sexuality. 13/18

✅Ensure all migrant workers are paid the wages and other benefits owed to them, including the women and men who are no longer based in the country. 14/18

✅Increase efforts to raise worker awareness of their rights and avenues for support and redress, including with respect to labour disputes and access to health care. 15/18

✅Recognise migrant workers’ right to join and form a trade union and collectively bargain through the passage of legislation. 16/18

✅Provide long-term migrant workers with a path to seek permanent residency and citizenship if they so choose. 17/18

Saudi authorities still have a long way to go. For these changes to the labour laws to be effective they must open a path to further reform. Otherwise they will have little impact on the rights and livelihoods of millions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. 18/18