Kuwait Employment and Career News
New Labour Law approved in Kuwait
The Parliament in Kuwait has approved a new labour regulation, which offers better working conditions to the two and half million foreign worker population, but, fails to scrap the controversial sponsorship system.
The bill is hoped to replace the 45-year old regulation, which was much criticized as being biased towards employers.
The bill had been under revision in parliament, for more than a decade now. The bill stipulates more rights for labourers employed in private sectors, including issues such as end of service indemnities, better annual leave and holidays, tougher penalties for visa trading and job scams.
The bill seeks that the government introduce a minimum wage for certain jobs, particularly, in the low-income sectors.
However, the bill fails to address the sponsorship system, which was highly criticized as it mandates that all foreign workers be sponsored by their Kuwaiti employer. This keeps the expatriates at the mercy of their bosses. The system is applicable to all other oil-rich Gulf States.
The Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Bader al-Duwalia was considering other alternatives for the system to make it on par with international labour standards.
The regulation follows violent protests by foreign workers demanding better working conditions. Kuwait currently houses 2.35mn foreign population, with more than two-thirds of them being Asians.
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