Abu Dhabi Police defused a strike by hundreds of labourers who protested at their company's alleged failure to pay wages on time.
Officers calmed the demonstration on Reem Island on Sunday, which lasted several hours from 10.30am.
Workers from the privately-owned contractor said they had not been paid for three months. Some said they had a five-month backlog in wages.
The men began returning to their labour accommodation at 1.50pm following discussions with police officials.
Helicopters and dozens of police were involved at one stage.
Police said the labour ministry was handling the matter but officials were not available for comment on Sunday.
The authorities have taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay their employees on time. Two years ago the UAE Cabinet passed a decree to allow the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
“I have not received my salary over the past five months, so I came here today,” said one of the demonstrators, who asked not to be named.
“I came from my country to work, and they don’t pay me, where will I eat from?”
He said his monthly salary is Dh2,500 and that his employer owes him Dh12,500.
An witness at the scene, a lorry driver, said the men were loud but respectful with police.
“I advised them not to become aggressive and start breaking glass, I told them you have to follow the rules,” said the 55-year-old Pakistani.
“I have been working in the UAE for 35 years, and I know that if you ensure you don't cause trouble or cause damage, the law will be on your side."
Reem Island resident Otto Comyn, a 27-year-old paramedic from South Africa, said he did not see any trouble but that “they were so noisy; they were everywhere".
The company involved, a general contractor tasked with fitting out high rise buildings, declined to comment but staff at the company's head office told The National that HR managers had been sent to the labour accommodation to settle the dispute with their employees.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the long-standing Wage Protection System — which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector, and the authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
Benjamin Burgher, a legal consultant at Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, last week told The National that the recently-opened centres are designed to cut down on lengthy and expensive court cases, and quickly resolve disputes between employers and employees.
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Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
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Employees: 60
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Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The specs
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The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
