Thirty companies in violation of UAE midday break law
About 27,000 inspections were conducted between mid-June and the end of July, officials say
Thirty companies have been found in breach of the UAE midday break law, which prohibits most outdoor work during the hot summer months, officials say.
The violations were detected following 27,000 inspections conducted between mid-June and the end of July, according to the Ministry of Labour.
Maher Al Obed, Assistant Under-Secretary for Inspectional Affairs at the ministry, said the number of violations indicated a high rate of compliance with the law.
Most labourers are barred from working on-site between 12.30pm and 3pm from June 15 to September 15.
Companies found in violation of the law will be fined AED5,000 per worker found working during banned hours, not exceeding AED50,000, and risk a temporary shut-down and downgrade in their classification.
Al Obed said there were some types of work that are exempt from the midday work law.
“There are some exceptional cases that require continuation of work during those periods for technical reasons, but employers are obliged to provide cold drinking water, safety tools and materials, including salt, lemon, and fresh salads, which are all required necessities as approved by health authorities in the country,” the official said.
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