| 01 Jul 2009 |
|
Workers can report break violations anonymously
- Text size
Wednesday, Jul 01, 2009
Dubai: Workers will be able to file anonymous complaints with the Ministry of Labour if they are forced to work during the midday break, which starts today, said a senior official.
The midday break rule puts a halt to outdoor work from 12.30 to 3pm, and is aimed at giving workers a respite from the soaring heat of July and August.
Humaid Bin Deemas, Acting Director General at the Ministry, told Gulf News that workers will be able to file a complaint by telephoning the ministry's hotline (800665) if they are forced to work during the break and their identity will not be revealed.
"One of the main objectives of the ministry's strategy is to remove all obstacles between the workers and their rights and therefore we are working on such proactive initiatives which would allow workers to complain about violations without fearing any repercussions," said Bin Deemas.
The complaints will be referred to the labour inspectors, after which investigations will be carried out.
"I will personally supervise the complaints to make sure that each and every complaint is studied carefully," said Bin Deemas.
The ministry's inspection team has been expanded to 435 as 134 inspectors took the oath in front of Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, in Dubai yesterday.
Companies which do not comply with the rule will face a fine of up to Dh30,000 and have a ban of up to one year on obtaining work permits.
The midday break rule was first implemented in 2005 as per a cabinet decision that stipulated all outdoor work should come to a halt between 12.30 and 4.30pm during the hottest months of July and August.
Heat exhaustion cases have dropped significantly since the implementation of the decision.
While there was an average of 5,000 cases a month in 2004, the cases dropped to 1,500 in 2005. Cases dropped to a record low in 2007 when 82 cases and two deaths were registered.
Last year 68 cases of heat exhaustion and one death were registered.
Records: Offences fallingNumber of violations
2005: 1,200 companies
2006: 862 companies
2007: 617 companies
2008: 398 companies.
Cases of heat exhaustion
- An average of 5,000 cases a month in 2004.
- An average of 1,500 a month in 2005.
- 82 cases and two deaths were registered in 2007.
By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter
© Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
Zawya is a distributor (and not a publisher) of content supplied by third parties and subscribers. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers, or other information or content expressed or made available by those third parties, including information providers, subscribers or other users of the Service, are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of the Company. The Company neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, advice or statement made on the Service by anyone other than authorized Service employee spokespersons while acting in their official capacities. The Company is not responsible for any infringement of intellectual property rights or breach of any applicable law or regulation, including regulation in relation to financial services or the distribution of financial products, defamation, data protection, telecommunications (including regulations relating to excessive use, spamming or other abusive activities) or obscene, offensive or illegal content). Under no circumstances will the Company be liable for any loss or damage caused by a member's reliance on information obtained through the Service. It is the responsibility of member to evaluate the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information, opinion, advice or other content available through the Service. Please seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding the evaluation of any specific information, opinion, advice or other content.
Read the full Member Agreement
http://www.zawya.com/legal/NewsLetter.cfm?name=disclaimer
Loading ...
Post a Comment
1.1 Contain any material which is libelous or defamatory of any person, is obscene, offensive, hateful or inflammatory or causes damage to the reputation of any person or organisation.
1.2 Promote sexually explicit material, violence, discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age or any illegal activity.
1.3 Be made in breach of any legal duty owed to a third party, such as a contractual duty or a duty of confidence.
1.4 Be threatening, abuse or invade another's privacy, or cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.
1.5 Be used to impersonate any person, to misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person, or be likely to deceive any person.
1.6 Give the impression that they represent Zawya.
1.7 Advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act such as (by way of example only) copyright infringement or computer misuse.