The United Arab Emirates, accused by rights groups of abusive labor practices, said Saturday that firms violating a midday break in outdoor work would be heavily fined and temporarily denied new work permits.
The 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm break will apply throughout July and August to laborers who work under the sun for "humanitarian" reasons, Labor Minister Ali al-Kaabi told a news conference.
Temperatures at that time of day can reach a scorching 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the summer.
Firms violating the rule could be fined up to 30,000 dirhams (nearly 8,200 dollars) and denied new work permits for a specific period, Kaabi said.
A labor ministry official said exemptions would apply in emergency cases, such as power cuts or disruptions in the water supply.
Press reports recently said the midday rest, which last year extended from 12:30 to 4:30 pm, had been slashed following complaints from employers, but that firms breaching the shorter ban would be both fined and publicly identified in the media.
The UAE, which does not allow unions or demonstrations, has come under fire from international rights watchdogs, including the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), for alleged abuses of workers' rights.
But Kaabi told reporters that such criticism was part of "a war on the UAE, especially Dubai," a booming emirate which is part of the seven-member UAE.
In recent months Dubai and other emirates have witnessed mounting protests by construction and other workers demanding back pay and better living conditions.
Kaabi said a new labor law which has been on the cards for some time would be enacted in late August.
Poorly paid Asians form the bulk of construction and other blue-collar workers in the UAE, where natives make up only around 20 percent of a population of more than four million.
