By MOHAMMED AL A’ ALI

A NEW law restricting the number of occupants in labour accommodation as well as further improving safety standards could soon be implemented in the Central Governorate.

It is currently being drafted by the Central Municipal Council, which says that it wants to ensure that labourers, who currently number up to 50 in each accommodation, are out of harms way.

The move also aims at lowering the number of labourers living in various neighbourhoods, where child molestation cases have been reported.

The proposed law stipulates that only four labourers will be allowed to occupy a room and landlords will not be permitted to rent out accommodation unless they fulfil specific safety and health standards.

A specialised committee formed by the council is now planning to meet representatives from the Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, Health, Labour and Interior ministries to draft the law.

Committee chairman Adnan Al Malky said that labourers are currently living in appalling conditions.

“This is because there is no law stipulating employers to properly house labourers. This is why we see 50 labourers in one house, with 10 in each room,” he said.

“This is unhygienic and dangerous.

“In many rooms, gas cylinders are inside the kitchen, which is dangerous. Some have no ventilation. I almost vomited when I stepped into a number of accommodations.”

Mr Al Malky, who is also the council’s services and public utilities committee chairman, said that the increasing number of labourers in neighbourhoods was also a threat.

“They live within family neighbourhoods, many of them walk on the street half-naked. Residents are also repeatedly complaining about their immoral and indecent acts,” he said.

“This doesn’t stop here. Some labourers lure children playing on the street to their house and molest them. There have been several cases where labourers have been arrested by the police.

“Many residents have also complained about labourers bringing in women for sex.

Mr Al Malky said that his constituency in Isa Town has the highest population of labourers in the governorate.

He said that the only solution was to come up with a new law.

“The law will ensure we have less labourers in the neighbourhood and there will be fewer people living in each accommodation,” said Mr Al Malky.

“At the same time, we will have proper living conditions for labourers, rather than many people in one accommodation, using one toilet and one kitchen.

“The rented accommodation will have to fulfil safety and health standards, like proper ventilation, electrical wirings, and security systems. “We are trying to contact Labour Ministry, which must inspect labourers’ accommodation before giving employers permits to recruit them.”