MP wants mixed gyms closed within 2 weeks
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 13: Most likely prompted by video clips of male personal trainers working with female gym-goers that went viral on various social networking platforms, MP Mohammed Al-Mutair, through his Twitter account, urged Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan to ban mixed gyms like those found in hotels and resorts within the next two weeks “or else your removal will become a social and moral obligation”.
Agencies add:
With the final touches being made by the Parliament’s Replacement and Employment Crisis Committee to its draft report on implementation of the government’s Kuwaitization policy to ensure employment for Kuwaiti citizens, the private sector’s participation in solving the unemployment crisis and
implementing the Kuwaitization policy has become the highlight of the issue, reports Al-Rai daily.
Chairperson of the committee MP Khalil Al-Saleh revealed about a meeting that will be held next week to look into the draft report before voting on it, and then referring it to the Parliament before the start of the new legislative term.
He highlighted the importance of the private sector’s participation in solving the unemployment crisis in parallel with the passing of laws that will achieve job stability for Kuwaiti employees of the private sector, ensure career growth and change the government’s system of employment.
The lawmaker indicated that it is evident the government prefers expatriates at the expense of citizens in the public sector, especially for non-technical work, due to which “immediate solution for the demographic imbalance problem must be found because it is the main factor behind the employment disarray that is being experienced in this country.”
He said, “We are recommending the employment of Kuwaiti consultants and completely rejecting the appointment of expatriates due to the fact that, it is apparent that decisions are being tailored in a manner that does not serve the citizens, in addition to violations of dismissing expatriates such that they work in non-technical jobs for which their contracts are extended beyond the legal retirement age.”
Al-Saleh went on to say, “Part of the general recommendation is that the government bodies should be obliged to implement the Kuwaitization policy immediately, especially with the increase in the number of citizens looking for job opportunities. Recruitment of expatriates for jobs for which their expertise is not needed must be ended. The clauses related to recruitment through gratification and service engagement must be scrutinized.”
He explained that the final report on this matter is based on two plans. The first one is a short-term plan that focuses on reducing the number of expatriates in the public sector, especially those working in the non-technical jobs, halting the recruitment of expatriates, and recruiting recently-graduated citizens within three months of their graduation.
The second plan is a long-term (fiveyear) plan that requires coordination among various relevant bodies. Its objective is to increase the percentage of citizens working in the private sector.