The National Assembly endorsed on Tuesday a number of amendments to law no.6 for 2010 regarding work in the private sector. One such amendment requires an employer in the private sector hiring no less than five workers to pay their wages via bank accounts. However some private sector businesses may not have to do that for their workers provided these businesses get special exemption from the government, specifically the Cabinet.

Another amendment states that if private sector workers leave their work with their employer in violation of their work agreement and decides to get work with a different employer, the latter will be subject to lawful punishment for having taken in a runaway worker.

Yet one more amendment punishes by a jail term of one to six months and a fine of KD 500 to KD 2,000 any private sector business that ignores official orders of closure or suspension of activity.

Having endorsed the amendments, the National Assembly turned over the new law with the added amendments to the government for its perusal.