Kuwait: The Indian embassy in Kuwait has issued an advisory for all Indian drivers coming to Kuwait on employment or work visas.
The advisory comes on Monday, December 4, on the X platform in response to the increasing number of Indian nationals recruited in Kuwait as ‘restaurant drivers’ but later being deployed as ‘delivery drivers’ or ‘riders for food platforms’.
Prospective Indian emigrants in Kuwait should note that employers with names like ‘consumer orders,’ ‘consumer goods,’ or ‘delivery of orders’ are typically ‘food delivery aggregators’, often using two-wheelers or bikes for deliveries.
What should workers know before coming to Kuwait as ‘restaurant drivers or delivery riders’?
- Delivery Drivers are provided with a Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) visa, committing them to work for three years with no release/transfer provisions. After three years, workers have the option to transfer to another SME employer or return to India.
- Companies pay employees commission-based on delivery targets and distance, and those without a fixed monthly income, as false promises, may be made by some agents.
- Workers must review the contract before accepting work, ensuring employers provide basic rights like minimum working hours, overtime pay, holiday rights, health and safety, and disability compensation.
- Workers in Kuwait may face harsh weather conditions such as extreme heat and dust storms during certain months of the year.
- Workers are advised to ensure they are provided with medical/accident insurance for their safety and well-being.
- Delivery riders must obtain embassy-attested employment contracts, following Kuwait’s Labour Law, with a minimum wage of Kuwaiti Dinar 120, to safeguard their rights.
- The attestation of an employment contract through the embassy in Kuwait includes insurance coverage for disability, accident, or death compensation paid by the Kuwaiti employer.
- Workers can receive an additional insurance benefit from Pravasi Bhartiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) upon obtaining an immigration clearance from the PoE office.
Emergency guidelines for delivery riders or drivers in Kuwait
- To address labour grievances or disputes, individuals should first register a formal complaint with the Public Authority of Manpower (PAM).
- The Indian Embassy’s Labour Helpdesk can be contacted for complaints either in person or via the Whats app Helpline No. 6550 1769.
- The PAM (Shoun) Office and Labour Courts are the primary channels for resolving all labor grievances and civil disputes.
- Employers reporting theft or trust breaches to Kuwaiti Police face criminal charges and severe consequences, including travel bans until resolved by the Labour Court.
