The last few days have seen much speculation about the Ministry of Labour’s latest announcement. As reported in the national press, from January 1, 2011 the Ministry is set to allow ex-pat workers who finish their contracts to obtain new work permits without undergoing the six-month work ban, thus allowing them to move to other firms without the need for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer.

We all know that employees moving to and from free zone or public sector companies have long enjoyed freedom of movement and this latest announcement will go some way to appeasing the rest of the workforce, by creating an equitable system for everyone.

According to the new resolution issued by the Minister for Labour Saqr Gobash, an employee can obtain a new work permit and move to another employer without the passing of the currently legitimate six-month period PROVIDED that they have

a/ completed two years of service,

and

b/ ended their work relationship cordially.

It is this latter point that is most open to conjecture and misconstruction and begs the question about arbitration. In the absence of misconduct, it is to be hoped that employees will indeed be able to transfer with relative ease, thus paving the way for a transparent, meritocratic labour market. Even more enticingly, could this latest move improve our prospects of attracting the best talent to the region?

Wishing you all best wishes for the festive season and a successful 2011!

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