I have been working in a private Kuwaiti company for more than 15 years as a sales representative/tender co-ordinator. When I joined the company they gave me a salary KD 250/-. I had my own private car and company said they will give me maintenance charges. From the time I joined the company they took the services of transportation from me i.e. to bring tenders from KOC, KNPC Mina Al-Ahmadi, Shuaiba, Mina Abdullah when the need arose.

I had to go very often to the above places. Sometime when I said I cannot go daily they said we are giving you KD 50/- car allowance. I do not have any written agreement with the company that I have to go throughout Kuwait on my own car. The company is now giving me a salary of KD 450/- including this KD 50/- as transportation allowance. In my old company they are giving me KD 50/- as a transportation allowance but I did not have to go any where.

My question is what does Labour Law say about this transportation allowance. Does the company have the right to take the transportation services from me or not.

Name withheld
Answer: It all depends on your contract or agreement — whether verbal or written. The Labor Law does not say anything on this issue. If it was decided that you could be paid this KD 50 in lieu of the services that you had to provide, then the company is right and there is nothing you can do about it. But if there was no such agreement, then the company is wrong to force you to perform those services.