Kuwait Labour Law chapter
Kuwait Labour Law Unions and collective contracts: Articles 98–122
Union organisation and collective employment agreements.
This section covers collective rights at work: workers' right to form syndicates and unions, how a syndicate is founded, registered and run, and how collective employment contracts work.
A collective contract is a written agreement between employers and a workers' organisation that sets terms for a group of employees. The law covers how long it lasts, how it is registered, who it binds and when it ends. Any term that conflicts with the law is void.
For most small and mid-sized companies in Kuwait, the practical takeaway is simple: employees' syndicate activity is protected, and dismissal because of it is unlawful (Article 46).
Articles 98–122
- Right to form unions (Art. 98)The right to establish unions for employers and the right to syndicate organization for workers is guaranteed in…
- Kuwaiti workers' syndicates (Art. 99)Kuwaiti workers shall have the right to form syndicates to protect their interests, improve their financial and…
- Founding a syndicate (Art. 100)The procedures that shall be implemented for the establishment of the organization are as follows: 1.
- Syndicate articles of association (Art. 101)The articles of association of the organization shall specify the objectives and goals for which it has been…
- Syndicate registration (Art. 102)The elected board of directors shall submit to the Ministry all papers relevant to the establishment of the…
- Syndicate legal obligations (Art. 103)Workers, employers and organizations shall, upon acquiring all rights stated in the Chapter, abide by all applicable…
- Ministry guidance to syndicates (Art. 104)The Ministry shall guide the syndicates and employers unions in implementing the law, keeping records and financial…
- Syndicate restaurants and cafeterias (Art. 105)The syndicates may open restaurants and cafeterias for the workers at the establishment after obtaining the approval…
- Forming unions (Art. 106)Syndicates registered in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter shall have the right to form unions to…
- Joining Arab and international unions (Art. 107)Unions, general union and syndicates shall have the right to join Arab and international unions of similar interests.
- Dissolving a syndicate (Art. 108)Workers and employers organizations may be voluntarily dissolved by a resolution of the general assembly in…
- Sharing rules with workers (Art. 109)Employers shall submit to workers all resolutions and by-laws related to their rights and duties.
- Syndicate delegates (Art. 110)The employer may delegate one or several members of the syndicate or union board of the directors to follow-up the…
- Collective contract defined (Art. 111)The collective work contract organizes conditions and circumstances of work between one or more syndicates or unions…
- Collective contract in writing (Art. 112)The collective work contract shall be made in writing and signed by the worker.
- Collective contract duration (Art. 113)The collective work contract shall be made for a definite period not exceeding three years.
- Not renewing a collective contract (Art. 114)In the event where any party of the collective work contract expresses its wish not to renew after the expiry of the…
- Void terms against the law (Art. 115)Any condition that reduces a statutory right is void. Any settlement that reduces rights during the contract or within 3 months of its end is void.
- Collective contract registration (Art. 116)The collective work contract shall enter in effect upon its registration with the concerned ministry and its…
- Collective contract levels (Art. 117)The collective work contract may be concluded at the establishment level, the industry level or the national level.
- Who a collective contract binds (Art. 118)The provisions of the collective work contract shall apply to the following: a.
- Leaving the syndicate (Art. 119)The worker’s withdrawal or dismissal from the syndicate shall not affect their being bound by the provisions of the…
- Joining an existing collective contract (Art. 120)Non-contracting workers syndicates, unions or the employers unions may join the collective work contract after the…
- Applies to all establishment workers (Art. 121)The collective work contract signed by the syndicate of the establishment shall apply to all workers of such…
- Lawsuits for contract breach (Art. 122)Workers and employers organizations that are party to the collective work contract shall have the right to file all…
This text follows PAM's January 2025 consolidated English edition; this local copy was not independently checked and is not legal advice.
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