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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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
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