Strategic payroll alternative project not priority for government

Hassan Al-Khader

KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Manpower cancelled 58,164 work permits that are registered but no longer valid, Deputy General Manager for bringing and employing workers' recruitment Hassan Al-Khader said. This action was taken as per article 35 of rules of granting work permits which states that the authority can cancel work permits automatically in many cases including the elapsing of six months of the employee being outside the country, unless he has a permit from the residency affairs department, or in case of deportation, he added.

Payroll alternative

The government will not make the strategic payroll alternative project among its priorities in the coming parliamentary term, although some MPs demanded its discussion and inclusion on the parliament's agenda, informed sources said. The government believes the project burdens the state's general budget with new commitments, and as the government's policy is to reduce expenditure, the salary alternative project will not be considered before dealing with the financial deficit for the next three years, the sources explained.

The sources said the government decided to resort to dealing with the salaries chapter in the general budget, starting with employing Kuwaitis in the private sector and having non-government establishments comply with the percentages of Kuwaitis hired, as a decision will be issued before the yearend to increase percentages of Kuwaitis in banks, communications companies and administrative jobs.

Retirement

Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipality Affairs Hussam Al-Roumi sent 14 employees in supervisory jobs who served for 32 years into retirement from Sept 1. The employees were informed of the decision through warnings to undersecretaries of their sectors. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Ministry of Public Works' Labor Union Anwar Al-Azmi said Director General of Public Authority for Roads and Transportation Ahmad Al-Hussan is ignoring laws and decisions by not looking into complaints of his employees, especially those related to employment violations against employees in his office and elsewhere. Azmi said the secretary general was met with regards to the complaints and he promised to look into them, but during a meeting with the board members, denied that such a meeting took place. He asked Roumi to stop all violations by the director general to protect public funds and respect the law.

Investigation

The health ministry stated on its Twitter account that it investigated a video clip on social media showing some cleaning workers changing curtains that separate patients while patients are present, which is something that must not be done. The ministry added that disciplinary action was taken against the nursing staff and the contracting company was fined. An official source said the ministry is keen on the privacy and comfort of patients and providing quality treatment to them. The source said official channels should be followed to complain.

Eid campaigns

The supervision and consumer protection department at the Minister of Commerce and Industry said campaigns will continue during Eid Al-Adha by teams in Kuwait's six governorates. It said plans have been prepared to prevent any establishment from monopolizing any product or service. Consumers can complain through the hotline 135 round the clock and through social media.

Privatization

Former secretary general of Kuwait engineering assembly, which is a union for Kuwaiti engineers, said the Ministry of Electricity and Water's privatization project did not present a clear view on the workers' situation following privatization. It also did not present clear guarantees to assure the workers, so "we appeal to MPs to play their role and defend the rights of those who elected them and adopt their demands. In this regard, he demanded efforts to approve allowances such as the danger, pollution, hard labor and other allowances, and increase salaries of all ministry employees who will remain in the ministry by a minimum of 15 percent. The employee who does not go to the company should have the right to be transferred to another ministry or government authority with a guarantee of a similar salary.

In appreciation

Municipal Council member Maha Ahmad Al-Baghly proposed naming a street, area or any of the new cities after the late Sheikha Fareeha Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in appreciation for her contributions to Kuwait and society.

By Meshaal Al-Enezi and A Saleh