Kuwait Rolls Out Requirements For Foreigners to Join Union

• Kuwait's government set out two conditions that foreign workers must satisfy before they can join any existing workers' union or association in the country
• Workers who meet the requirements must hold a valid work permit and have lived in Kuwait for at least five years before applying
• Kuwait also placed a clear restriction on what foreign workers cannot do, regardless of how long they have lived in the country

Kuwait has released two conditions that foreign workers must fulfil before they are eligible to join any established workers' union or professional association operating in the country.

The requirements apply to expatriates who are employed in Kuwait and wish to participate in formal labour or professional groupings within the Gulf state.

Valid work permit

The first condition is that a worker must hold a valid work permit at the time of seeking membership. Workers without a current and recognised work permit are not eligible to join any union or association, regardless of how long they may have lived or worked in Kuwait.

Five years of residency

The second condition requires that the worker must have resided in Kuwait for a minimum of five years. Both conditions must be satisfied together. Meeting only one of the two is not sufficient for a worker to qualify for membership.

What foreign workers cannot do

Even for those who satisfy both requirements, Kuwait draws a firm line on one key point: foreign workers are not permitted to establish their own union or association. The right to join an existing body is distinct from the right to form a new one, and the latter remains closed to expatriates under Kuwait's current rules.

Kuwait has one of the largest expatriate workforces in the Gulf region, with foreign nationals making up a significant portion of its labour force across construction, domestic work, healthcare, and other sectors.

Differences between visa-free and free-visa

Legit.ng earlier reported that many Nigerians are working to migrate to another country in search of greener pastures, either to Europe, America or other places around the world.

However, recurring terms in the process of migration are visa-free and free visa, which many did not have a clear understanding of when applying for their visas.

Migration, in the Nigerian context, is often referred to as Japa, a term that feels connected and homely when talking about Nigerian scenes.