50,000 workers at Clean Fuel Project on 40 contracts
KUWAIT: Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) announced the formation of a social care committee concerned with educating foreign workers about their rights according to the contracts signed with them with reference to Kuwait's labor law. The committee made its first tour of the Clean Fuel Project, which has the largest number of workers - 50,000 working as part of 40 contracts with contracting companies. The committee distributed leaflets in eight languages (Arabic, English, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese and Tagalog) to make sure the committee's ideas reach the largest number of workers. Personal and joint interviews are being conducted as a first step to inform them about their rights, such as the number of working hours, calculating overtime, salaries, rights, housing and measures to be taken when temperatures soar. The Clean Fuel Project is a strategic project to expand and upgrade Mina Abdullah and Mina Al-Ahmadi Refineries to be an integrated refining complex with a total capacity of 800,000 bpd. It is expected to boost Kuwait's global position in the oil refining industry.
Students' allowances
Head of the National Union of Kuwait Students (NUKS) board Falah Al-Suwairi said the board received promises from the higher education ministry with regards to its proposal to increase Kuwaiti students' financial allowances abroad in order to give them more incentives and relieve them of some burdens. He said we are keen to keep in touch with concerned authorities in order to give them proposals that will help students and make it easier for them to complete their studies.
Education Ministry Undersecretary Saud Al-Harby said permanent opportunities for supervisory jobs at the ministry will be made at the start of the new school year. He revealed an integrated plan to boost the education process that includes enhancing the curricula and increasing the efficiency of teachers and the school environment. He said the plan was presented two months ago, adding "we currently are working on an operational plan for it as the education ministry is getting ready for the new year."
Meanwhile, the national project to improve school canteens decided that the project will be executed in mid-August in cooperation with Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Company, while the undersecretary said the ministry is keen on developing school canteens to change wrong nutrition habits in children and adopt positive behavior by providing healthy food to students.
Dairy products
The Hudson Star-Observer said about 12 businessmen from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Lebanon will visit the US state of Wisconsin this month in an attempt to import its dairy products to their countries. The site said Wisconsin is known as "dairy land" as it is one of the pioneers in dairy production in the United States and famous for its cheese. CEO of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin said "we need to expand our reach to international markets to present Wisconsin's dairy products and achieve growth in this industry that is full of challenges."
By A Saleh