Ministry pays financial dues to 10,500 workers

Abu Dhabi / Emirates Business

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation helped return financial dues owed to 10,500 workers (2.6 per cent of the total 409,000 workers) visited by General Inspectors from the beginning of 2016 till last September. The team paid 2,200 visits to 598 establishments, 740 labour accommodations and 870 worksites across UAE.
Maher Al-Obed, Assistant Undersecretary for Inspection Affairs, said, “The general inspectors, which had been stationed in 12 teams, unearthed a variety of violations within 122 facilities. These violations reported wage non-compliance, salary delays, avoid overtime pays, disrespect public holiday attendance compensations.”
“These Inspectors perform a comprehensive duty that combines the responsibilities of all types of inspectors, to mainly raise awareness among business owners, specifically those employing over 50 workers which had been inquired to provide labour accommodations as per a recently launched decree,” he added.
Each team is jobbed a campground visit to educate owners and workers about labour legislations note down their responsibility, in terms of granting workers overtime dues, ensure wages prompt payment, observe women and juveniles hiring in the labour market following laws and regulations.
“Through this new initiative, each team will include different types of inspectors to educate one another about their current duties, i.e. occupational health & safety inspectors acquaint labour regulations inspectors about of their daily tasks and vice versa. This, I believe shall build a highly comprehensive team of inspectors and spread the knowledge which in turn increases the number of specified inspectors in each field, yet use the available inspectors,” Al-Obed said.
Sultan Al-Saadi, head of the initiative, said, “General Inspectors carry out a variety of periodic awareness raising visits and inspectional ones as well, starting at the headquarters of a company then reach out to its branches, the inspectors shall fairly audit all the records of the company.”
“Inspectors will meet with workers, check their circumstances, note down their confrontations then match it with the outputs mentioned by the company, inspectors shall organise visits to remote work sites to check on occupational health and safety ends, then check labour accommodation standards,” he said.
“All owners are obliged to comprehend to the inspector’s instructions, provide all necessary requirements help the inspectors’ accomplish their tasks in a timely manner,” Al Saadi said.