Private sector workers who violate their job contract will require approval by their employers to be exempted from a one-year ban if they want to shift to another sponsor, according to the Ministry of Labour.

The ministry made this clear after rejecting applications by some workers asking to be exempted from the ban for not complying with their job terms.

“Exemption of the ban for workers who are found to have violated their job contracts requires approval by their employers,” said Humaid Al Suwaidi, the ministry’s assistant undersecretary for labour affairs.

Quoted by the semi-official Arabic language daily 'Al Ittihad', he said failure of workers who quit their job to give a month's notice to their employers constitutes a “clear violation of the labour law in the country".

“In this case, the employer is authorised to ask the Ministry of Labour not to grant those workers a new work permit before one year…this also applies to workers who quit their job before the expiry of their contracts,” he said.

Suwaidi said the Ministry of Labour is not authorised to cancel the ban on workers who are found to have violated their job contracts on the grounds this could cause damage to the employer.

“In such cases, the employer has the right to decide on whether to agree on the ban or cancel it…this excludes cases in which the court finds that the workers have not violated their job contracts especially in unjustified sacking cases.”