Unpaid workers have the right to change their employer

If a worker does not receive his wages for a period of two months, he is free to transfer his sponsorship to another employer without the consent of his original employer, a senior official at the Labour Ministry said. Speaking shortly after the 'Weekly Open Meet' at the Ministry for settling labour dispute cases, Qassim Jamil, Director of Labour Guidance said that a mass complaint filed by 1474 workers for unpaid wages has been referred to the Labour circuit court in the emirate. At the open meet, the owner of the employing firm clarified that the workers have been paid their monthly wages for August and September 2009, and promised to pay the outstanding dues without delay. But the Labour Ministry said that the cases have already been referred to the competent court for a decision. Qassim Jamil said that the workers are not under any legal obligation to resume their work if they remain unpaid for a period of two months and are free to transfer their sponsorship to another employer even without the consent of the original employer. On another level, the ministry organised on Sunday a training workshop in Abu Dhabi for 40 labour inspectors with the aim of familiarising them with the ministry's plan for 2010 for intensifying labour inspections to root out violations. - Emirates News Agency, WAM