Campaign reveals 392 worked during ban hours in June

By Faten Omar

KUWAIT: The Public Authority of Manpower (PAM) launched a sudden inspection campaign on Monday at open work sites in Mutlaa to enforce a decision prohibiting laborers from working in open areas from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm from June till August. In a press statement, Hamad Al-Mekhyal, Head of the Occupational Safety Department of PAM in Jahra governorate, told Kuwait Times the decision aims to protect laborers from working in open areas under harsh climatic conditions, which could threaten their safety.

The occupational safety team held sudden visits of several worksites to give written warnings to those working there during the ban hours under the sun and dust. "The worker will not be sanctioned - only the company and the contractor who forced him to work. First, we give the worker a written warning that he has to deliver to the company, then we come later to check if the company is abiding by the decision. If the violation continues, legal action will be taken and the violations will result in financial fines ranging between KD 100 to 200 per worker, paid by the company," Mekhyal said.

He said in June, inspection teams toured 295 worksites and registered 392 workers working during the ban hours, adding 250 companies were warned for the first time, with 245 complying upon reinspection to the warning. He pointed out PAM received 14 complaints by the workers themselves, saying their companies force them to work during the ban hours, stressing administrative decision number 535/2015 is in compliance with international labor standards and agreements approved by Kuwait to protect worker rights.

Mekhyal said violating companies comply at a rate of 99 percent after they are warned, expressing his optimism that the number of violations this year will be less than the previous year, praising the PAM inspection team's efforts in touring worksites in harsh weather, even during dusty days. The authority called on the public to cooperate with it in reporting any laborers working during the ban period on the hotline 99523590.