Midday Work Ban Puts Focus on Labor Rights
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SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 SHAABAN 21, 1435 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Handlers of Israel tightens Godzilla still Dutch on verge camels W Bank grip, relevant and of last 16 test ‘negative’ Abbas blasts raging after 60 after beating for MERS3 kidnappers7 years39 in Japan Australia20 Midday work ban puts Max 45º Min 28º focus on labor rights High Tide 04:48 & 16:01 Workers in Gulf face abuse, poor legal protection Low Tide 10:27 & 23:05 40 PAGES NO: 161201 150 FILS DUBAI: An annual midday work ban has gone into effect this month across much of the Arabian Peninsula Khorafi also to protect construction workers and outdoor laborers from the risks of direct sunlight and extremely high welcomes temperatures during the hottest summer months. The ban, which stands out as one of the most strictly enforced laws aimed at protecting migrant workers in investigation Gulf Arab countries, sheds light on the often difficult working conditions for millions of expatriate laborers ICM urges probe who make up the bulk of the workforce here. They pro- By B Izzak vide the manpower to build high-rises, shopping malls, highways and other mega-construction projects sweep- KUWAIT: Former speaker of the National Assembly ing through the region. Jassem Al-Khorafi yesterday joined former prime Contractors and companies caught violating the ban minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad are fined thousands of dollars and face temporary sus- Al-Sabah in welcoming a public prosecution investi- pension. Labor Ministry inspectors in the various coun- gation into allegations of conspiracy and abuse of tries make tens of thousands of unannounced visits to public funds in which they were named. In a state- sites to ensure the ban is enforced. The rules are in their ment issued through his lawyer, Khorafi said he was tenth year in the United Arab Emirates, and have been pleased by the new developments after Sheikh around for several years in other Arab countries in the Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah took the allegations to the Arabian Gulf. The ban, which lasts between two to three public prosecutor. months, went into effect June 1 in Kuwait and Oman, The two former statesmen have categorically June 15 in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, while denied any wrongdoing and pleaded innocent, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia start it July 1. The longest while charging that there is a plot behind the entire work break is five hours in Qatar, while the shortest issue to undermine the security and stability of the duration is 2.5 hours in the UAE. country. Khorafi, who was the assembly speaker At an International Labor Organization meeting in between 1999 and 2011, said in the statement that Geneva last week, delegates considered a treaty that he is ready to refute all the fabricated claims and requires governments to take measures to better pro- lies in Sheikh Ahmad’s lawsuit. tect workers, in particular migrant laborers, from fraud- DUBAI: In this June 15, 2014 photo, laborers nap on pieces of cardboard during their midday break at the Continued on Page 15 ulent and abusive recruitment. Dragon Mart Phase 2 construction site. — AP Continued on Page 15 SPAIN BOOTED OUT Iraq appeals for US air strikes Saudis warn of civil war • UAE recalls envoy Gulf countries struggle with Iraq blowback DUBAI: Saudi Arabia and other petro-powerhouses of the Gulf for years encouraged a flow of private cash to Sunni rebels in Syria. Now an Al-Qaeda breakaway group that benefited from some of the funding has stormed across a wide swath of Iraq, and Gulf nations fear its extremism could be a threat to them as well. Those countries are now trying to put the brakes on the network of private fundraisers sending money to the rebel movement, hoping to halt the financing going to the radical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But at the same time, they sharply oppose any US military assistance to Iraq’s Shiite-led government aimed at stopping the extremists’ rapid advance - and are furious at the possibility Washington could coop- erate with their top rival Iran to help Iraq. Their stance reflects the complex tangle of national NAJAF: Iraqi Shiite women hold their weapons as they gather to show their will- rivalries and sectarian enmities in the region. Sunni- ingness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against militants yesterday in ruled Saudi Arabia, along with its Gulf allies, have had this southern Shiite shrine city. — AFP the primary goal of stopping the influence of mainly BAGHDAD: Iraq asked the United States However, Zebari said “a military approach Shiite Iran in the Middle East, and they deeply oppose yesterday to carry out air strikes on Sunni will not be enough. We acknowledge the Iran’s ally, Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, jihadists, who attacked the country’s need for drastic political solutions.” whom they accuse of discriminating against his coun- main oil refinery and seized more territo- The United States spent millions of try’s Sunni minority. ry in the north. The appeal came as fight- dollars over several years training and They are torn over the Islamic State’s stunning vic- ers from the Islamic State of Iraq and the arming a new Iraqi army after disbanding tories. They would be happy if the insurgency forces Levant (ISIL) were pressing a week-long the Sunni-led force created by the late the removal of Maliki and his replacement with a more offensive that has brought them close to dictator Saddam Hussein. Washington Sunni-friendly government. But long term, they fear the capital, and as Prime Minister Nouri has already deployed an aircraft carrier the Islamic State or other radicals inspired by it could Al-Maliki pledging to face down “terror- to the Gulf and sent marines to bolster eventually turn their weapons against the Gulf’s pro- ism”. “Iraq has officially asked Washington security at its embassy in Baghdad, but Western monarchies. And they are alarmed that its to help under the security agreement President Barack Obama has insisted a power could increase Iran’s role in Iraq - a scenario (between the two countries), and to con- return to combat in Iraq for US soldiers is already realized with top Iranian military figures in RIO DE JANEIRO: Chile’s goalkeeper Claudio Bravo makes a save against Spain’s duct air strikes against terrorist groups,” not on the cards. Baghdad helping organize the army. Sergio Ramos during the Group B World Cup football match at the Maracana Zebari told reporters in Saudi Arabia. Continued on Page 15 Stadium yesterday. — AP (See Page 20) Continue on Page 15 Tearful Spanish king quits throne MADRID: A teary-eyed King Juan Carlos sealed future queen Letizia in a black top and white through them, dressed in a blue military uniform his abdication of the Spanish crown yesterday skirt, and Juan Carlos’s wife Queen Sofia, with the red silk sash of the forces’ commander in after a four-decade reign, clearing the throne for applauded the abdicating king. chief, to be sworn in by the parliament on his 46-year-old son, Felipe VI. The 76-year-old Minutes earlier, cannons had fired a salute Thursday morning. “There’s a festive atmosphere. monarch signed the act of parliament ending his and shouts of “Long Live the King!” rang out as It’s a party for this new king,” said one passerby, reign with a golden pen at a ceremony in the royals arrived by car at the old palace in west- Carlos Tesorero. “All the Spanish people have Madrid’s Royal Palace, then hugged his son, who ern Madrid. Juan Carlos is credited with helping faith in him. He is very capable and I think he will will be sworn in today morning. The embrace guide Spain to democracy after the death of the be a good king.” between the elderly king and his heir under the dictator Francisco Franco, but his popularity was The red-and-yellow Spanish flag fluttered palace’s chandeliers marked the first royal suc- damaged by scandals in recent years. from balconies across Madrid and two giant flags cession in Spain’s post-Franco history. Madrid was bedecked with flags to hail the hung down the facade of the city hall. “It looks Dressed in a dark blue suit and pink tie, Juan soon-to-be Felipe VI. Red and white flowers - more like a football match. Lots of flags. Too Carlos, who uses a cane following repeated hip nearly 16,000 blooms, according to the City Hall - much, perhaps,” said Jose Manuel Garrucho, a 20- operations, stood unaided during part of the cer- adorned the streets. Workers hoisted a great red year-old student, outside the parliament. By emony but had to briefly hold Felipe’s arm to canopy with the state coat of arms embroidered coincidence, yesterday was also a big night for steady himself. A band struck up the national in gold over the front doors of the lower house of Spain’s national football team, with a crucial MADRID: Spanish King Juan Carlos (left) embraces Crown Prince Felipe after anthem as Felipe in a dark suit, his wife and parliament in central Madrid. Felipe will pass World Cup tie against Chile. — AFP signing an abdication law during a ceremony at the Royal Palace. — AP p2 COPY_Layout 1 6/18/14 9:13 PM Page 1 LOCAL THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014 Photo of the day KUWAIT: A street vendor sells ice cream, sodas, juice, water and other snacks near a school in Kuwait in this file photo.