Kuwait on verge of ‘signing’ MoU with Zambia to hire skilled workers

PAM receives 12,800 absconding cases filed by employers

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 7: Kuwait intends to hire skilled workers from Zambia, reports Al-Rai daily.

During his recent visit to Kuwait, the Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji indicated that his country is on the verge of signing a number of memorandums of understanding with Kuwait on various aspects including hiring Zambian engineers.

During an interview on the Zambian TV (ZNBC), the minister revealed that the MoUs are related to hiring specialists besides engineers, affirming that Kuwait expressed its desire to hire Zambian engineers who are known to be the best in the world.

He indicated that the MoUs will be signed within the coming few months, stressing that the private sector of Kuwait, as soon as the MoUs are signed, will start coordinating with its Zambian counterpart to set the methods of cooperation between the two sides.

Furthermore, Director of Labor Relations at Public Authority for Manpower ( PAM) Abdullah Al-Marri revealed that the department has, since the beginning of 2018, received about 12,800 absconding reports that were filed by employers against the workers registered in their files, reports Al-Rai daily.

He explained that 244 expatriate workers canceled their residencies in Kuwait and returned to their home country since the beginning of 2018 after they lodged complaints with the department. About 4,315 individual labor complaints have been referred to the court since the beginning of this year, as it was difficult for the Labor Relations Department to settle them.

Al-Marri insisted that the cancelation of residencies is the responsibility of Ministry of Interior and not PAM.

He disclosed that complaints can be lodged either via the Labor Relations Department or through the website of PAM using the username given to the concerned worker by PAM when he recorded his phone number with the authority.

Al-Marri explained that the complaints lodged by workers are of two types. The first type concerns work permits. Complaints in this regard have to be studied to decide if the work permit can be transferred or cancelled. The second type concerns individual complaints such as the financial rights of the workers or if their passports are held by their employers.

The time period for the department to settle a complaint is two weeks. If the departments fails to do so within this period, the complaint is referred to the court.

Al-Marri affirmed that the involved parties in a dispute have the right to appeal the decision taken by the relevant sections affiliated to the Labor Relations Department within a few weeks.