The Manpower Committee of the House of Representatives has finished discussing the Labor bill.

The new Labor bill submitted by the government to the House of Representatives contains several new provisions that grant additional protections to workers. First, the proposed Labor Law stipulates three conditions for accepting the resignation of an employee in the private sector, as follows:

1. The employee may submit his resignation in writing to the employer, provided that it must be signed by him or his special agent and approved by the competent administrative authority.

2. The employer’s service shall not end except by the decision issued accepting his resignation, and the employee shall continue to work until his employer decides on the resignation within ten (10) days from the date of its submission, otherwise the resignation shall be considered accepted by the lapse of this period.

3. The resigning employee or his special agent may rescind the resignation within one (1) week from the date of his notification of the employer’s acceptance of the resignation, provided that such rescission is in writing and approved by the administrative authority, and on condition of the employer’s approval. 

The proposed Labor Law also stipulates the following: 

• To establish specialized labor courts to adjudicate labor disputes Prohibiting the Unfair dismissal of an employee.
• The dismissal of an employee shall be through a court ruling. The employee’s resignation shall not be accepted unless approved by the Ministry of Manpower and the competent labor offices in the governorates.
• The establishment of the “Supreme Council for Social Dialogue” and its branches in the governorates.  
• The formation of the “Supreme Wages Council” headed by the Prime Minister.
• The employer is obliged to write the employment contract between him and the employee in “Arabic” and in four copies (the employer keeps one copy, another for the employee, the third one for the Social Insurance Office, and a fourth for the competent administrative authority, instead of three copies according to the provisions of Labor Law no. 12/2003 currently in force.