Labour Ministry Launches Online System for Unemployment Appeals

Acting Labour Minister, His Excellency Yousif Khalaf, has set new rules for lodging and deciding grievances over unemployment compensation and allowances, moving the process fully online. The decision, published in the Official Gazette, requires claimants to file through the Ministry of Labour website within 15 days of learning of the decision they wish to challenge. The competent body must rule within 15 days of filing. If no reply is issued in that time, the grievance is deemed rejected. An appeal to the competent court is open for 30 days from notification of rejection or deemed rejection. A dedicated committee will handle cases and set its own internal rules for meetings and day-to-day work, including sittings held remotely.

Supporting papers

Grievances are submitted on the prescribed electronic form and must state the complainant’s full name, personal number, address, telephone, email, the decision under challenge and the grounds for it, with all supporting papers attached. Each filing is recorded at once and the complainant receives an email confirming registration. The committee may call the complainant to a hearing, giving at least three days’ notice, and may hear witnesses when needed without administering an oath. It may also seek input from specialists at the Ministry of Labour, the Social Insurance Organisation or other relevant public bodies, and request any data or documents required to reach a view.

A reasoned decision must be issued after the file has been examined, with the outcome sent by email upon issue. The committee will keep an electronic register covering every grievance, with a dedicated page for each case carrying related data, correspondence and decisions, to ensure full record-keeping throughout. The decision repeals earlier paper-based grievance procedures and replaces them with a single electronic system for unemployment-related grievances.