On September 4, the caretaker minister of labour announced that the Lebanese government has approved a new standard unified contract for migrant domestic workers. According to the statement, the new contract abolishes the current Kafala system (Sponsorship). Under the Kafala system the employer sponsors the worker’s legal status in the country. Kafala system is seen as an abusive system prohibiting workers from resigning without the consent of their employers. It also allows employers to withhold their workers’ passports.
The new contract gives migrant domestic workers the right to the minimum wage of 675,000 Lebanese pounds ($450 before the crisis, less than $100 according to the black market rate). It also gives workers the right to keep their passports and to resign without the employers’ consent. The new contract also provides that workers should have good and healthy living and working conditions including a private and well-ventilated room, the right to daily rest, sick leave and paid holidays. However, the contract allows the deduction of an undefined amount of the salary to cover food, clothes, etc.