Nepalese official calls for contract

ABU DHABI — A senior diplomat at the Nepal Embassy here has proposed signing of a contract by the sponsor and the domestic servant or housemaid stating the latter’s responsibilities and duties before he/she is hired and brought to the UAE.


“An initial agreement on the terms of employment signed by the sponsor and housemaid is recommended before going ahead with the hiring procedures,” said Mohan Kumar Shrestha, Charge d’affaires, Nepal Embassy.

According to him, such contracts might avert disputes that are likely to arise later. The proposal comes in the wake of a young Nepali woman, who fled her Arab sponsor’s house complaining of torture and sought the help of the embassy to be repatriated.

Laxi Kunwar, 22, claimed she had been working as a housemaid with the family in the capital for one year. “I was beaten and harassed. That is why I fled the house and I do not want to work with that family anymore,” an embassy official quoted Kunwar as saying.

The embassy officials approached the family to sort out the matter. After enquiring about all aspects, the embassy asked Kunwar to continue working with the family. But she refused and wanted to get an air ticket and her pending salaries to return home, Shrestha said.

The Egyptian woman for whom Kunwar was working turned up at the mission and offered a salary increase if the maid continued but she refused. “We made the sponsor sign an agreement and made her pay all pending salaries and arrange an air ticket for her to return home,” added Shrestha.

“Nepali people are very hard working and honest. We are getting many calls from companies looking for domestic servants. However, if the situation remains like this, how would people come here as maids?” Shrestha asked.