Abu Dhabi court says Dh106m in unpaid wages returned to workers

More than 3,800 workers in Abu Dhabi have received their unpaid wages in full after the emirate's labour court ruled in their favour.

The court passed judgments in these cases in the first three months of this year and the workers received a total of more than Dh106 million, Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said. It was not clear if the total amount also included money paid for unfair dismissal.

Figures released by Abu Dhabi Labour Court showed that rulings were issued in 1,893 claims of the 1,932 registered at the level of the Court of First Instance between January and March. The other cases are still pending.

During the same period, 506 cases were moved up to the Court of Appeal and verdicts were given in 490 of them. Sixteen cases are still pending.

The Labour Court also received 24,687 online requests and all were settled amicably without further appeal.

Abu Dhabi Judicial Department’s online service received 806 requests from people asking for information on employee rights and answered 97 per cent of them.

What can an employee do if not paid on time?

Private companies must transfer the salaries of their employees to bank accounts to avoid fines.

Salaries should be transferred through the Wage Protection System on fixed dates. Wages not transferred within 10 days of the due date are considered a late payment and there are fines for companies that flout rules.

Employees can file complaints to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation if any of their rights that are mentioned in the UAE Labour Law are not honoured.

The ministry tries to work out an amicable settlement between the employees and employer within two weeks, but if that does not happen it forwards the dispute to the Labour Court.

Once an approval to take the case to court is issued by the ministry, the employees must register the case in court.

How to file a complaint?

A group of employees can file one complaint online but should include all the names of the complainants.

Once the complaint has been filed, the labour authority notifies the employer and holds a hearing before the ministry.

The workers should submit documents such as a copy of the employment contract, visa, Emirates ID, and last salary receipt and prove that salaries were not paid, which can be easily done through the WPS.

Labour dispute cases in Abu Dhabi courts can be registered online. Hearings can be held remotely or at the workers' location in cases that involve a large number of complainants, through the Mobile Court.

“This is to ensure that cases are promptly settled and judgments enforced according to the labour law and its regulations, in order to serve the rights of both parties and to strengthen the stability of the labour market,” said Saeed Al Abri, undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

“Figures [for the first three months of this year] reflect the extent of achievements and efforts made to ensure that justice has been served and people were granted their entitlements in record time.

“This is in line with the vision of the Abu Dhabi government to develop a judicial system that delivers world-class services and supports growth and investment.”

Mr Al Abri said the Labour Court ensures it carries out its work in accordance with the changes introduced to the laws that came into effect on February 2 this year.

UAE Salary guide 2022 - in pictures

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The bio

His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell

His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard

Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece

Favourite movie - The Last Emperor

Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great

Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community

• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style

“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.

Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.

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• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International

"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."

• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."

• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com

"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.

His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.

Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."

• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher

"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”

• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."

The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces

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Lighting can help define areas. Try pendant lighting over dining tables, and side and floor lamps in living areas.
Keep the colour palette the same in a room, but combine different tones and textures in different zone. A common accent colour dotted throughout the space brings it together.
Don’t be afraid to use furniture to break up the space. For example, if you have a sofa placed in the middle of the room, a console unit behind it will give good punctuation.
Use a considered collection of prints and artworks that work together to form a cohesive journey.

The biog

Name: Marie Byrne

Nationality: Irish

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption

Book: Seagull by Jonathan Livingston

Life lesson: A person is not old until regret takes the place of their dreams

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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
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About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

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Real Madrid 0
Barcelona 3 (Suarez (50', 73' pen), Varane (69' OG)

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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Abu Dhabi court says Dh106m in unpaid wages returned to workers

Cases were resolved by labour court in first three months of 2022

What can an employee do if not paid on time?

How to file a complaint?

UAE Salary guide 2022 - in pictures

The&nbsp;specs

The bio

THE BIO

Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community

The biog

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

Living in...

Kat Wightman's tips on how to create zones in large spaces

The biog

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms

Who was Alfred Nobel?

About Krews

RESULT

Avatar: Fire and Ash

The specs