MoL: workers to beat the heat for longer this year

Summer's coming, and so too is the midday work ban. Image: Karim Sahib/AFP/Getty Images

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Labourers working within the UAE will get a longer reprieve from the baking heat and dust of the summer months thanks to a new law announced by the Ministry of Labour.

The law extends the mandatory summer midday working ban by one month, this year starting on June 15 and running until September 15 – one month longer that last year’s working ban period.

Under the new law, labourers working outside must down tools between 12.30pm and 3pm, while those working on projects exempt from the ban must be provided with enough cold water, lemon, salt and healthy salads between those times. With day time temperatues well in to the 40s during the summer months, and sea temperatures reaching the late 30s, the UAE introduced the summer midday working ban in 2006 to protect labourers from the fierce heat. According to the law, workers must also leave the worksite during the workban hours, unless they are staff required to remain on site for safety reasons.

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FEATURED COMMENT As the midday working ban is only effectual in the UAE, I rather recommend CW to express their concern in Saudi Arabia t   1 Comments Read more comments »

Companies working on emergency projects are able to apply for exemptions from the ban, but every application is viewed on a case-by-case basis.

“This law came after long discussions with the ministry’s partners to make sure that labourers get their full rights and to make sure at the same time the companies do not suffer financial damage,” Saqr Gobash, Labour Minister, said.

All construction companies must display the new law in a prominent place in Arabic and one other language the workers can understand, the statement said.

Companies who fail to abide by the new law will face a AED10,000 ($2,723) fine and will be downgraded to a Group C company. If the company is already in Group C it will not be granted any new work permits for at least six months.

Firms who break the law a second time will face a fine of AED20,000 as well as being downgraded and banned from getting new work permits, while the fine for third time offenders will be tripled to AED30,000, the statement said.

More frequent worksite inspections and subsequent fines for errant companies had made sure that employers were adhering to the law. Just 84% of companies had taken the ban seriously in 2006 – but 99% of worksites visited by Ministry of Labour inspectors last year were following the ban.