Kuwait increases annual leave to 35 days in private sector

The Kuwait National Assembly’s health and social affairs committee has agreed to increase annual leave in the private sector to 35 days from 30 currently as part of a number of amendments to the labour law, according to a lawmaker.

MP Osama Al Shaheen said the amendment applies to both Kuwaitis and expatriates employed in the private sector. Annual leave was raised to 30 days – not including Fridays – several years ago, when the labour law underwent major changes. Earlier, a parliamentary committee had recommended amending the labour law in the private sector by increasing annual leave days and granting bonuses retroactive to 2010 to workers at the end of their contracts.

However, the Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed in a statement concerns about the retroactive bonuses, saying they would affect the financial status of companies and institutions and violate the rights and obligations arising from the contracts.

“The increase in annual leave would benefit more than 1.7 million non-Kuwaiti workers, which would lead to an increase in labour and production costs in Kuwait by 15 per cent in monthly wages and end of service,” a spokesperson for the chamber was quoted by a local daily.