Azlan Othman
An employer was found to have violated labour laws, including failure to grant leave to workers on gazetted public holidays.
The violations were discovered during an operation codenamed Selongkar 01/2021, launched by the Labour Enforcement Division (LED) of the Labour Department, at a shopping complex in Kampong Sungai Tilong, on January 4.
The inspection was intended to ensure compliance with the Employment Order 2009, the department said in a statement yesterday.
The operation, which started at 10am, found a foreign worker originally designated as construction labourer sweeping floors.
The offences committed include failing to grant leave to employees on gazetted public holidays, breaching the terms of the Foreign Worker Licence such as putting employees to work in another company, abuse of job positions, and employing foreign workers endorsed by another company.
The employer is also believed to have neglected to provide first-aid equipment on the shop premises.
The penalty for failing to provide leave on a gazetted public holiday, upon conviction, is a BND160 fine for the first offence and a BND320 fine for the second offence, according to the offences listed under Section 70.
For breaching the terms of the Foreign Worker Licence by putting employees to work in another company, along with the abuse of job positions and employing foreign workers endorsed by another company, the penalty, upon conviction, is a compound fine of BND600 for the first offence and BND900 for the second offence, according to the offences listed under Section 12, Section 82, Section 86 and Section 112.
The Labour Department reminded all employers to attend to their employees’ welfare, in accordance with the requirements of the Employment Order 2009, such as preparing employment contracts, paying salaries on time and providing clean living quarters.
Employers are also advised against abusing the Foreign Worker Licence and infringe the acts under the Employment Order 2009.
For information, contact the Labour Department at 2381848 (during office hours) or 7298989 (after office hours).