Abu Dhabi Judicial Department secures Dh8.6 million in unpaid wages for labourers

The 1,637 workers were not paid wages for three months and eventually had their meals, stopped, so they went to the Labour Court to seek the issue to be resolved.

ABU DHABI // More than 1,000 labourers who had not been paid wages for three months had their issue resolved after the Judicial Department’s reconciliation officials intervened.

The 1,637 workers received back wages worth a total of Dh8.6 million, some had their sponsorship transferred to new companies and those who wanted to return home received airline tickets.

The workers’ dispute with their employers resulted in their company shutting down and no salaries being paid for three months. Eventually the workers’ meals were also stopped, so they filed a case at the Labour Court.

As per any judicial procedure, any lawsuit must go through a reconciliation attempt before it reaches court.

So, a specialist committee went to the labour camp to explain workers about how it is their right to demand the company pay their wages without taking the issue to court.

They were also informed that the law entitles them to change jobs if they wished to stay in the country, or they could be provided ticket to fly home after receiving their financial dues.

The committee also contacted the company owners, who agreed to keep feeding the workers until they had changed jobs or left the country.

The amount owed to each employee was calculated and the employers handed the money to the committee in cash.

A number of companies have already expressed interest in employing some of the workers, said a Judicial Department spokesman.