Where labour issues are concerned in Kuwait, the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) is the primary authority that attends to these. And while there are many issues to be addressed in terms of labour practices and manpower allocation, the issue concerning delay in salaries hits workers (both locals and expats) the worst because there are recurring overheads to pay and mouths to feed.
As the government continues to improve its systems in terms of labour standards and worker welfare, new laws and regulations are being explored and set in place to address issues raised by both companies and employees in the country.
Gov’t to Block Files of Companies that Don’t Pay Salaries on Time
In line with this, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) announced that it has activated the article related to disbursement of salaries for all companies of the private sector, governmental projects, small enterprises, and all activities and professions covered under the labour law of the private sector, as shared in a report by the Arab Times Online.
By this, the files of companies that delay the transfer of salaries of its employees by the 8th day of each month will be blocked, considering that the law has specified the 7th day of each month as the deadline for the transfer of salaries, and companies that fail to abide by this law will be closed.
For his part, Acting Director General of PAM Abdullah Al-Mutawtah affirmed the resolve of the authority to follow up the procedures of domestic workers through the Department of Domestic Labor Recruitment, in order to ensure compliance of all offices to the procedures, laws, and regulations related to hiring domestic workers.
Al-Mutawtah also noted that there is a total 397 offices for the recruitment of domestic workers, as per the statistics issued by the department in May. Meanwhile, the Manpower Authority also emphasized the need for employers to abide by its decision, which bans labourers from working in open areas from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm in order to ensure the safety of the labourers and the interests of employers.
Al-Mutawtah explained that PAM has taken all necessary actions to apply the decision, adding that any violations of this decision will have legal repercussions. Currently, all mechanisms have been set in place to ensure that inspection teams will conduct campaigns in open areas, through utilization of automated devices which will be linked directly to the concerned departments.