Employers cannot cut agreed worker wages

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 31: The Public Authority for Manpower (PAM) has affirmed that the wage agreed upon in an employment contract must remain fixed throughout the contract period and cannot be reduced while the contract is in effect, in accordance with Article 28 of the Labor Law. In an awareness publication titled “Clarity of Rights Ensures a Stable Employment Relationship,” PAM explained that an employer may not deduct more than ten percent of a worker’s wage to recover debts or loans owed to the employer. Also, charging interest on such amounts is prohibited under Article 59(a) of the Labor Law. Any attachment, assignment, or deduction from a worker’s wage to settle other debts, regardless of their number, may not exceed 25 percent of the total wage. This limit applies in addition to the aforementioned restriction on deductions for amounts owed to the employer. In cases involving multiple debts, priority is given to alimony payments (spousal or child support), as stipulated in Article 59(b) of the Law.