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80 Per Cent of 32,300 Labour Complaints Resolved

ABU DHABI — The Dispute Department at the Ministry of Labour (MoL) received 32,300 complaints from 46,800 workers in 2008 and the ministry settled 80 per cent of the complaints nationwide in the same period, according to a top official at the Ministry.

Humaid bin Deemas, Acting General Manager of the Ministry of Labour, said that 75 legal advisors in the ministry countrywide had helped settle about 80 per cent of the complaints.

“Some 38,100 workers have received their dues after the ministry intervened while complaints from 6,500 workers were transferred to the court,” said
bin Deemas.

He added that the ministry was still working on 2,200 complaints received by the end of 2008.

The complaints included 13,500 cases demanding financial dues; 1,200 claiming overtime; 1,800 to remove absconding reports; 14,000 for different legal rights such as air tickets and vacations; 120 complaints demanding compensations for accidents at work sites and 1,680 against employers.

Bin Deemas said new systems, such as Natwasal and a call centre, which have been established by the ministry, allow cases to be settled quicker than in the past.

“The awareness campaigns launched over the past two years have had a positive effect as the workers are now more aware of their rights according to the labour law,” said bin Deemas.

The Ministry of Labour has developed a mechanism for receiving workers’ complaints through the ‘Natwasal Unit’ and legal advisors investigate the complaints within five days.

New office in Northern Emirates

THE Ministry of Labour is opening new offices at the courts in the Northern Emirates for resolving labour complaints.

This follows the opening of offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to facilitate the implementation of court judgments, according to senior ministry official.

Humaid bin Deemas said that the ministry’s cooperation with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) will result in new offices in the Northern Emirates.

MoL’s staff have attended training courses with the judicial authorities.
ahmed@khaleejtimes.com

Classified by complaints:

-14,000 different legal rights such as air tickets and vacations

-13,500 financial dues

-1,800 remove absconding reports

-1,680 complaints against bad dealing from employers

-1,200 demanding overtime

-120 compensations as per accidents at work sites

Workers’ complaints

-38,500 received their rights

-6,500 workers cases in the courts

-2,200 workers are waiting settlements

Labour offices

-dubai: 16,500 workers filed 1,0000 complaints

-abu dhabi: 10,000 workers filed 7,000 complaints

-sharjah: 8,500 workers filed 6,000 complaints

-rak: 2,000 workers filed 1,500 complaints

-ajman: 3,000 filed 2,000 complaints

-other offices: 6,800 workers filed 5,800 complaints

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