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Abu Dhabi: Companies will be named and shamed if they violate the midday break rule, the Minister of Labour said. The ministry began implementing the rule yesterday. Workers who work in open areas and who are exposed to direct sunlight will get a two-and-a-half hour break, said Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi. The law will be in effect until the end of August. "The official ban on work activities in open and exposed areas during the midday hours from 12:30 to 3pm is a direct application of professional health and safety standards as mandated by the labour law and international conventions," the minister told a press conference, attended by Humaid Bin Deemas and Obaid Rashid Al Zahmi, Assistant Undersecretaries in the ministry. Bin Deemas said the construction and contracting sector is one of the most vital sectors in the UAE.
No exceptions "There are more than 1.2 million workers working in this sector and more than 27,000 establishments [contracting] and the midday break is meant to protect the workers," he said. Bin Deemas said there will be no exceptions for anyone who violates the law. Any establishment that violates the law will be fined and transactions stopped. The only change in the penalty structure is that transactions will be stopped when the company pays the fine and not when violations are committed. Dr Al Ka'abi said the ministry will issue a weekly list that contains the names of the violating companies and the names of the owners. "The ministry will take responsibility to mention names of the violating companies and their owners in the media," he said. The ministry now has 350 inspectors ready to visit construction sites across the UAE. Action was taken against 500 firms last year - This is the third year the ministry is applying the midday summer break after it was first launched in 2005.
- During last year's midday break campaign, over 2,500 inspection visits were conducted by the ministry in Dubai and the northern emirates.
- Inspections last year resulted in sanctions against almost 500 non-compliant firms.
- Last year's campaign also contributed to a significant drop in the number of cases of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
- The violating company will be fined for each violating worker. Fine for the first offence will be Dh10,000, for the second offence it will be Dh20,000 and the third it will be Dh30,000 for each violating worker.
- The company that employs the labourers, whether the main contractor or the sub-contractor, will be held responsible for any violation.
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