Any woman going to the Gulf countries for work will need to produce a job contract and an assurance from the employer of payment of minimum wages.
A 24-hour telephone helpline will also be established in the Indian missions in the Gulf countries as part of measures by the government to ensure protection of the interests of the Indian workers there.
The steps have been decided upon by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs in the wake of increasing incidents of exploitation and ill-treatment of Indian workers, particularly the housemaids, in the Gulf countries.
The minimum wages is likely to be fixed between $250 and $300 and no migrant worker will be allowed to leave India without furnishing the contract, specifying salary and other work conditions, entered into with the employer.
The contract to be attested by respective Indian missions will have to be furnished before departure at airports.
The key decisions were taken at a two-day conference of the heads of mission in various Gulf countries here chaired by Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi. "We have also asked all our missions to put in place a mechanism to provide legal and other assistance to migrant workers. The mission can adopt whatever method they want in accordance with the law of the land in their respective countries," Ravi said.
The ministry will support the missions in meeting the expenses of the round-the-clock helpline and the mechanism to be set up in various missions to address the needs of migrant workers, he told reporters.
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