Kuwaiti 'celebrity' slammed over comments on Filipino expat workers

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Kuwaiti celebrity slammed over comments on Filipino expat workers

Dubai - Her comments have angered both Filipinos and Arabs online.

By Web Report

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Published: Sun 22 Jul 2018, 4:14 PM

Last updated: Sun 22 Jul 2018, 9:54 PM

A Kuwaiti social media celebrity has come under fire after she hit back at new rules intended to protect Filipino workers. A video of her tirade - where she questioned the government's reforms has gone viral.
According to CNN, Sondos Al Qattan criticised the reforms affecting Filipino domestic workers in Kuwait. The changes guarantee rights to the workers and are seen by many as a step in the right direction. Al Qattan is one of the few who did not accept the changes.
"For people who want to hire a Filipino domestic worker, what are these ridiculous work contracts you've got to sign? The woman I met with was reading out the rules to me and I was just shocked. Put aside that they need to be given a break every five hours, that's normal. But, how can you have a 'servant' in your house who gets to keep their passport with them? Where are we living? If they ran away and went back to their country, who will refund me?," she can be heard saying in the video.
Apart from questioning the new rules, she also objected to the rule that grants Filipino workers a day off per week.

"Even worse, is that they get a day off every single week! What's left? Honestly, with this new contract, I just wouldn't 'get' a Filipino 'maid.' She would only work six days a week and get four days off a month," she added.
Her comments have angered Filipinos and Arabs on Twitter. One user said 'Al Qattan .doesn't want a human being to get a day off! She wants to enslave them!'
Another user pointed out that they are domestic workers and not slaves.
Further, she has been blocking users and deleting comments that go against her statement.


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