Cairo: Kuwait began enforcing a summer ban on outdoor work at noon starting this Saturday.
The ban takes effect from 11am to 4pm running until August 31, Kuwait's Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) said.
PAM teams will follow up on the strict implementation of the three-month ban. They will conduct surprise inspection visits to workplaces to detect potential infringements and take legal measures against the violators, the authority's acting head Marzouq Al Otaibi.
The measures usually start with a notification issued for the violator to stop the infringement and comply with a one-day grace period. If the violation is repeated, the employer’s record is closed and a fine of KD100 per worker is levied.
'Protecting workers from extreme heat'
"The decision aims at protecting workers from the extreme heat during this period," Al Otaibi.
The official explained that the enforcement of the ban during the given hours aims at "regulating work, not curtailing working hours", stressing keenness not to harm projects underway in the country.
"The implementation of this decision over the past years has received plaudits and acceptance of several companies in several sectors," Al Otaibi said.
"Besides, it comes to serve the public interest, and is in line with Kuwait's commitments to implement international work standards at noon times."
Kuwait's overall population is estimated at 4.8 million including around 3.3 million foreigners.
The ban on outdoor work is seasonal in the Arab Gulf countries, home to large communities of migrant workers, in summer when the mercury shoots up. The restriction aims at protecting workers from heat stress.
