Rights group: Gulf must increase worker protection
November 18, 2013 - An international rights group is urging Gulf Arab states to take
additional steps to safeguard domestic workers who are often outside normal labor
laws and protections. Sunday's statement by Human Rights Watch comes amid wider attention
to the Gulf's vast migrant workforce, mostly from South Asia and Africa. Riots have
broken out in Saudi Arabia as authorities crack down on laborers without proper visas.
In Qatar, rights groups and others have raised concerns about living and working conditions
for crews building venues for the 2022 World Cup. Human Rights Watch appealed to
the Gulf states to adopt new codes by the International Labor Organization that include
limiting work hours for domestic staff and ending the practice of holding of workers'
passports. (Source: AP)