Private sector workers with long experience can shift to a new employer without getting a job ban even if they do not possess the educational qualifications required in the exempted categories, authorities have said.

The new rule will not affect careers that could endanger lives such as doctors and architects who must have the requited educational level to be allowed to get a job and switch employers, the ministry of labour said.

“The educational qualifications are not required in other jobs...experience will be enough to allow workers to move to another company,” said Saif Al Suwaidi, director of services centres division at the ministry.

Suwaidi made the remarks at the ministry’s weekly open-day meeting, during which he and other ministry officials discussed applications from some private sector firms involving job transfer and labour offences.

Quoted by the semi-official daily 'Al Ittihad', Suwaidi said the “open-day committee” approved an application by a clerk at a local company to shift to a purchasing agent job at another firm on the grounds he has seven years experience in that field. It also agreed on a request by another worker to move to a sales manager job after it verified he has experience of more than 12 years.

Regarding offences, Suwaidi said fines against non-renewed or non-issued labour cards must be paid by employers not their workers, adding that in case the offending company is shut for some reason, the fines could be paid by another establishment belonging to the same owner.
The paper said the committee rejected eight of 20 applications requesting exemption from fines.