Relevant authorities requested to appear before Parliament due to concerns over failure to ensure occupational health and safety standards
North Galolhu MP Mohamed Ibrahim has requested that relevant authorities be summoned to Parliament over concerns regarding the delay in publishing regulations and standards mandated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The MP proposed summoning the Labour Relations Authority and the Director General of Workplace Safety and Health to clarify why the essential frameworks required to enforce the law have not yet been established. He further emphasized that the absence of these critical regulations poses a significant obstacle to ensuring the safety and protection of workers.
Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo), Member of Parliament for the North Galolhu constituency. | Majilis
A letter has been submitted to the Speaker of the Parliament, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, requesting that relevant authorities be summoned for questioning over the failure to enforce the Occupational Health and Safety Act and ensure workplace safety.
In a letter submitted by the Member of Parliament for the North Galolhu constituency, Mohamed Ibrahim (Kudoo), he noted that World Day for Safety and Health at Work has been observed globally on April 28th every year since 2003, an initiative led by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
It was also noted that the primary objective of observing this day is to promote safety and prevention against workplace accidents and occupational diseases. This is to be achieved through collaborative efforts between the state, employers, and employees, guided by social dialogue.
The letter noted that under the Occupational Health and Safety Act currently in effect in the Maldives, the Authority is mandated to formulate and implement all necessary regulations, standards, and procedures, acting upon the advice of the Minister.
The member stated that the Labor Relations Authority has formulated a consolidated regulation encompassing all necessary rules under this Act. However, following numerous complaints regarding the "Occupational Health and Safety Regulation," the member noted that the document has reportedly been sent to the President's Office for gazetting after undergoing revisions. Consequently, the member highlighted that these regulations have yet to be implemented.
Ibrahim expressed profound concern over the continued absence of regulations governing occupational health and safety. He noted that the lack of established guidelines to ensure the safety of workers and others in the workplace, as well as the failure to define procedures for emergency situations, is a matter of serious urgency. Consequently, he has requested that the Labor Relations Authority be summoned to Parliament.
Furthermore, Ibrahim highlighted that the standards required to be established under the Act—which must be formulated by the Director General upon the Minister's advice and published in the Government Gazette—have yet to be gazetted to date. Consequently, Ibrahim has requested that the official responsible for this task, the Director General of Workplace Safety and Health (Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development), be summoned to the People’s Majlis to provide a progress update and clarify the current status of this work.
Ibrahim further noted that although two years have passed since the law was enacted in April 2024, the failure to complete such a critical task within the legally mandated timeframe risks undermining public confidence in government institutions.
