Manpower Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Nassir Al Bakri, who held a meeting with labour officials from all the governorates and regions here on Saturday, said the government was keen to safeguard the interests of both employers and employees. The changes in the Labour Law, he added, were meant to achieve this.
He said employers who want to rectify the status of their workers would be allowed to do so till the end of the year. Companies currently carrying out projects and utilise the services of illegal manpower would also be allowed a grace period until the year-end “so that they can meet their obligations”, he added.
The options the ministry offered, Shaikh Abdullah explained, included transferring sponsorship of labourers from one company to another with the approval of the authorities.
Also, establishments that have subcontracts will be allowed to complete their projects as per the legal guidelines, he said, adding: “Afterwards, the ministry will initiate action to eliminate employment of absconding, terminated and illegal manpower.”
He said the ministry’s objective was to create an accurate database of foreign workers in the country, regularise the labour market and develop national manpower. Shaikh Abdullah denied that the ministry was not granting labour clearances to hire sufficient number of workers. He said the authorities supported employers who were ‘serious’, complied with the rules and repatriated their workers once the project they were hired for was completed.
He called on the labour officials to enforce the new provisions with “wisdom and responsibility”
