By IANS
New Delhi : The cabinet Thursday approved a labour welfare agreement signed between India and Kuwait earlier this year that is expected to benefit the large Indian population working in the Gulf nation.
The cabinet also okayed the signing of an additional protocol to the agreement on regulation of Indian workers in Qatar.
The Kuwait agreement was signed in April during the visit of Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi.
The pact provides a mechanism for settlement of labour disputes and also sets out various parameters for governing the welfare of Indian workers in the private sector in line with Kuwait's laws.
It also addresses issues related to protection and welfare of workers who are not covered under Kuwait's labour laws.
The draft of the additional protocol between India and Qatar was finalised last year here after a meeting between the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and a delegation of the Qatari government.
The new protocol is in addition to the bilateral labour agreement between the two countries that has been in place since 1985.
Ravi will be visiting Qatar to sign the additional protocol.
Under the agreement, both countries agreed to work together for the welfare of Indian workers in the domestic and unorganised sector in Qatar. They also agreed to take appropriate steps for the welfare of the Indian workers not within the purview of the Qatari labour laws.
India and Qatar would review possible employment opportunities in Qatar from time to time.
There are at least 172,000 Indians in Qatar while Kuwait is home to around 550,000 Indian expatriates.