In recent years, expatriate workers in the Maldives have taken to the streets to protest months of delayed wages and poor living conditions, including inadequate housing and lack of access to nutritious food.
The Times of Addu
Over the years, there has been a growing concern regarding the treatment of expatriate workers who settle in the Maldives seeking better pay to support their families back home. Despite working in extremely demanding fields that require significant physical labour, these workers face mistreatment in various aspects of their lives, a plight not unique to the Maldives but prevalent worldwide.
Among the most pressing issues are employers confiscating employees' passports, making it impossible for them to leave at will, and withholding their salaries. In recent years, expatriate workers in the Maldives have taken to the streets to protest months of delayed wages and poor living conditions, including inadequate housing and lack of access to nutritious food. These recurrent incidents have led to increasing calls for legislative changes to ensure the Maldives becomes a safer place for expatriate workers to build their futures.
Responding to these concerns, the Government of the Maldives has proposed an amendment to the Employment Act. This amendment introduces a financial penalty of MVR 50,000 for employers who neglect their expatriate employees.
The amendment specifically targets four common forms of neglect:
1. Failure to pay salaries.
2. Failure to fulfil basic duties as defined by a regulation under this law.
3. Exploitation in bringing in expatriates or forcing them to engage in unlawful activities.
4. Making expatriates work in different jobs than those for which they were brought in.
Such measures, especially those addressing job misassignment, have been long overdue. Often, expatriate workers are lured with promises of blue-collar jobs, only to face the harsh reality of being forced into menial labour or domestic work upon arrival. This bait-and-switch tactic not only shatters their dreams but also subjects them to exploitation and abuse. By enforcing strict penalties and clearly defining forms of neglect, the proposed amendment aims to hold employers accountable and improve the living and working conditions for expatriate workers in the Maldives.
