UAE | Employment
Midday break rule for labourers in UAE comes into force from July 1
Ministry of labour is to intensify its inspections across the country to ensure that the midday break rule is implemented, announced a senior official.
- By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter
- Published: 13:31 June 10, 2008
- Construction workers take a break during hot and dusty weather at a Dubai Marina construction site.
- Image Credit: Vazhisojan/Gulf News
Dubai: Companies that do not provide a shaded rest place for their workers on site during the midday break will be penalised, announced a senior ministry of labour official.
The midday break rule, halting outdoor work from 12.30pm to 3pm, takes effect from July 1 and ends on August 31, and companies caught violating the rule will be penalised.
Humaid Bin Deemas, acting undersecretary at the ministry, said the ministry will crack down on companies that do not provide rest place during the midday break rule.
"Companies that will not provide transportation during the midday break will have to set up a shaded rest place or they will be violating the rule and will face penalties," said Bin Deemas.
Last year some 617 out of 7,070 inspected companies across the country were caught violating the rule, according to ministry statistics.
"We need to ensure that everybody will adhere to the rule as we are keen to protect the workers from the soaring heat of July and August," said Deemas adding that the total capacity of the inspection unit will be used to monitor midday break violators.
Obaid Al Zahmi, assistant undersecretary at the ministry, said that companies in all sectors have to adhere to the decision.
"Everybody has to halt work during these hours even government bodies. However, no penalties will be enforced on government bodies as it does not lie within the ministry of labour authority to do so," said Al Zahmi.
Companies found violating the rule for the first time will face a fine of Dh10,000, and company transactions will be suspended for three months. Companies in category C will have their transaction suspended for six months.
Second time violators will face a fine of Dh20,000 and have their category downgraded to C as well as have their transactions suspended for six months.
If companies are found violating for the third time, a fine of Dh30,000 will be levied and the company will be downgraded to C and transactions will be stopped for one year.
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