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Rabat – Morocco has finally taken a step toward reducing working hours for private security guards as lawmakers began reviewing a bill that would bring the sector under the country’s standard labor rules.
The proposed legislation, Bill No. 032.26, was presented Wednesday before the House of Councillors’ Committee on Education, Cultural Affairs, and Social Affairs. The bill would amend the Labor Code and end a legal exception that currently allows private security guards to work up to 12 hours a day.
Under the current system, private security guards are classified among workers whose duties are considered intermittent, which allows employers to assign 12-hour shifts while calculating wages on the basis of eight working hours.Â
The proposed amendment would remove private security guards from that category and make them subject to the standard working hours established under Article 184 of the Labor Code.
The new rules would apply to employment contracts signed after the law enters into force following its publication in the Official Gazette. Companies with existing contracts would be given a transition period of up to 12 months to comply with the new requirements.
Speaking to SNRT News, Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment and Skills Younes Sekkouri described the bill as an important measure that tens of thousands of workers await. He said the reform aligns with efforts to promote decent work and strengthen labor rights.
Read also: Morocco Labor Day 2026: Minimum Wage Rises but 1.6 Million Still Out of Work
The proposal is one of the key outcomes of Morocco’s social dialogue process between the government, labor unions, and employers.
Parliamentary adviser Hanaa Benkhair of the General Union of Workers in Morocco told SNRT News the private security sector includes about 170,000 workers in the public sector and around 500,000 in the private sector. She described the workforce as particularly vulnerable, noting that some workers do not receive the minimum wage and others are not registered with the National Social Security Fund.
Lawmakers from different political groups expressed broad support for the reform during committee discussions. However, several participants stressed the need to balance workers’ rights with the economic challenges facing security companies.
The discussions also noted broader concerns in the sector, including compliance with labor laws, social security registration, and protection against practices that could undermine the new rights. Participants warned that shorter working hours should not be used as a justification for reducing wages.
The committee has set Friday as the deadline for submitting amendments to the bill. Those amendments will be reviewed next Monday before the legislation advances through the remaining stages of the parliamentary process.
