Dubai workers can claim their rights legally

Workers in Dubai have started following the proper legal procedures to preserve and claim their legal rights, an official of the police’s human rights department has said. Dubai Police’s continuous public awareness campaigns at camps, workers have become more familiar with their rights and the proper legal procedures that are required to resolve a labour dispute, said Lt Colonel Saeed Rashid Al Helli, Head of Temporary Employment Conditions Control Section at the General Department of Human Rights.

Lt Colonel Al Helli was speaking at an event organised by Dubai Municipality, which was observing the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2016, a campaign of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

“Dubai Police have been working closely with workers through different platforms and extensive awareness campaigns at camps that have helped workers protect their rights and claim their salaries. This has reduced the probabilities of workers resorting to unlawful methods,” he said.

‘Workplace Stress — A Collective Challenge’ was the theme chosen this year by the ILO for the annual campaign, and Lt Colonel Al Helli explained how delays in giving workers their wages was found to be the top cause for stress at work worldwide.This stress, he said, might cause workers to refrain from carrying out their jobs or tasks. But in the UAE, this is no longer the case, as the workers now trust their concerns would be addressed and issues resolved legally, he said.

“Through our electronic platform, free line (launched in 2005), and smart app, workers have not had to resort to illegal approaches and have been able to fully understand the country’s laws. They simply lodge their complaints and get immediate responses for any of their enquiries. We realised that in the previous years, when such issues used to surface, it was because workers were not fully aware of how they can claim their rights.”

In addition to that, he said, police patrols visit workers’ camps to assess their situation and to ensure their workplace conditions are up to the standards. Brochures are also distributed in different languages at camps.

Between 2010 and 2014, the number of complaints received through these services increased significantly. In 2014, there were 233 group complaints and 1,174 individual complaints, but only 35 workers refused to work until their wages were given.

“There has been a growing trust between workers and our department because of the direct communication. This trust increased from 87 per cent in 2011 to 93 per cent in 2015. Complaints are being addressed within 45 minutes of receiving them,” Lt Colonel Al Helli said.

“Special attention is given on group complaints, as it can result in labour strikes and riots that could cause severe damage and financial losses.”

Compensation to workers for delayed wages amounted to Dh319 million between 2009 and 2015, a matter that is being taken very seriously, he added.

As part of the event organised by the Public Health and Safety Department of the municipality, lectures discussing the reasons for stress at the workplace and its negative consequences on health and behaviour were organised.

“We are here today to cover the most vital issues for safety of workers, with a special focus on stress, which is a huge topic that needs to be communicated to everyone at the workplace,” said Raed Al Marzouqi, head of occupational health and safety section at Dubai Municipality.

“We came out with new handouts and brochures for both employers and employees about stress, its causes and how it can be avoided at the workplace. We have a special focus this year on the handicapped and the elderly and the difficulties they can face.”

Al Marzouqi said more than 130,000 people will receive the posters and brochures through the e-government service of Dubai, including more than 30,000 industries and companies.

U.A.E Employers Face 14-day deadline to complete Labour contracts from 1st of January 2016

Starting January 1, 2016 ,U.A.E labor department insisting employers  bound to present approved labour contracts within two weeks of workers arriving in the country to join for work.
During a meeting held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, which was attended by 300 employers and government representatives, Humaid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, said: "Employers face a 14-day deadline to complete signature procedures following the workers' entry into the UAE. If the worker complains of any delays, then the ministry allows him to search for a new offer."
"The new measures implement three new decrees issued by Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash recently with regard to regulating the labour market," he added.
The ministry has also relaxed its rule regarding the mandatory medical report to be submitted with a job contract.
After the new laws come into effect in the new year, the ministry will not issue new work permits to overseas workers or renew current residents' work permits if the employer does not present a unified signed contract. It will accept contracts which would be signed electronically by both parties regardless of the location of the workers or contracts with fingerprints, in specific cases.
Referring to the renewal of contracts, Al Suwaidi said that the signature grants workers free will to renew the contract or simply choose to end the relation and find a better offer or move back home.

This, Al Suwaidi said, would end misunderstanding between both parties.The move has been welcomed by companies and employees alike.

Three stages for hiring

The new procedures of recruiting foreign workers from outside the country for a two-year work visa will be in three stages.

Firstly, the employer applies for quota regardless of the number of workers recruited, the second demands handing over a printed offer letter containing a comprehensive description of their rights, duties, terms and conditions, through Tas'heel service centres or through the 'MoLApp' smartphone application.

"Secondly, employers should electronically sign a job offer, send it to the worker regardless of their location," Al Suwaidi said.

The job offer should then be either signed or fingerprinted as required.

The offer will be in both Arabic and English in addition to a third language that the worker understands, which can be available on the ministry's website.

"Each worker can review their work contract through the ministry's website after registering on it using their passport number, nationality and their transaction number as each has its own code," Al Suwaidi said.

During the work permit extraction stage, employers attach the signed offer letter by the worker for the initial approval.

The ministry then works on reviewing the application to make sure it meets all the requirements and then issues the permit, which allows the worker to come work in the country under a work permit.

Al Suwaidi also said that the electronic system will not allow new job offers for workers during the initial approval stages and replacing work permits will be treated according to specific procedures under issuing new work permit measurements.

"It's not mandatory to include medical report with job offers, especially that today we are electronic linked with the Residency and Foreigners Affairs, which does not issue workers a residence visa with medical report," he added.

medical examination for licence seekers who are 60 years and above

Roads and Transport Authority is planning to introduce medical examination for licence seekers who are 60 years and above. This includes even those who wish to renew their expired licence. The move aims to ensure drivers are healthy and free from illnesses, reported 'Emarat Al Youm'.

Ahmed Bahrouzyan, Executive Director of the Licensing Department, RTA, said: "RTA will undertake a comprehensive study to modify and develop procedures for obtaining driving licence in coordination with the Interior Ministry and the Dubai Health Authority (DHA)."

RTA has not yet determined the age category where the new procedures will be applied, but in all probability it would cover those above 60 years, he added.

He said the body meets regularly with the Dubai Health Authority, to identify the types of medical examinations and age groups that should be subjected to tests as well as to identify chronic diseases that would aggrevate due to driving.

Bahrouzyan said the RTA seeks to implement best global practices in the service of security and safety on the roads.

He added the RTA is currently considering the application of a British study related to drivers of commercial vehicles and heavy vehicles to transport hazardous materials. It would later be submitted to the DHA to be discussed and modified to implement in the region.

The licencing department issued 33,142 licences in the first quarter of this year, he said and added that the success rate in obtaining driving licences witnessed a significant increase of 29 per cent.

RTA is seeking to develop its services to ensure the success of raising the proportion of applicants for driving licence by 35 per cent.

No six-month work ban from January 1, 2011 in UAE

Expatriate workers can move to new employment without no-objection certificate if they have served out two-year contract.The Ministry of Labour has issued regulations allowing workers who finish their contracts to obtain new work permits without undergoing the six-month work ban, and allowing them to move to other firms without the employer's approval from January 1, 2011.

A worker with an expired contract can obtain a new work permit and shift to another employer without the passing of the currently legitimate six-month period and consent of his sponsor, according to the new resolution issued by the Minister of Labour Saqr Gobash.

The new regulations on conditions and criteria of issuing new work permit for a worker after the expiry of his service contract and transfer of sponsorship will take effect as of January 1, 2011 in implementation of the cabinet resolution No 25 of 2010 regarding internal work permit at the Ministry of Labour.

Once operational, the new regulations will replace the current formalities of transfer of sponsorship for expatriate workers.

The resolution says that the new employment permit will only be granted to the worker after the end of his work relationship with his employer without consideration of the legitimate six month period which is usually calculated after the cancellation of the worker's labour card.

But it stipulates two must-do conditions. firstly, the two contracting parties must have ended their work relationship cordially and secondly, the worker should have worked with his employer for two years at least- the duration of the new labour card which will be issued by early January.

The resolution defines two cases where the worker can obtain the new work permit after the end of the contractual relationship without the agreement of the two contracting parties.First, when the employer fails to honour his legally or contractual obligations. Second, in the condition of expiry of work relationship where the worker takes no responsibility such a complaint filed by the worker against his firm.

In this case, an inspection report should prove that the firm is out of business for more than two months and that the worker should have reported to the ministry.

The labour dispute should have been referred by the ministry to the court provided that the court hands out a final verdict ordering the employer to pay to the worker salaries of two months at least, compensation for the arbitrary sacking or terminating the contract prematurely, or any other rights.

The resolution also defines three cases where the worker shall have the right to get a work permit without fulfilling the condition of working two years at least with the employer.Firstly, when joining his new job, the worker should be classified in the first, second or third professional class and that his new salary should not be less than Dh12,000, Dh7,000 and Dh5000 in the first, second and third class respectively.Secondly, non-compliance of the employer with legal, labour obligations towards the worker or in the case where the worker has no role in terminating the work relationship.

Thirdly, shifting of the worker to another firm the employer owns it or has stakes in it.Minister of Labour Saqr Gobash said the new measures aim to infuse broader flexibility in the labour market and strike a balance in the contractual relationship between the employer and worker."The Ministry will only interfere in the employer-worker contractual relationship if it detects infringement in obligations stated in the labour contract," he explained, affirming the ministry's determination to guarantee rights of both parties legally as we live in the State of law and institutions.

"Giving the private sector more freedom of movement will have automatic impact on employers by the way of preserving their interests through creating many options for recruiting skillful workers as per the supply-demand equation.

He indicated the new measures were subject to dialogue and consultation with local stakeholders in implementation of directives of the wise leadership for crafting policies and legislations that fit well into the developments in labour market and curb any malpractices.

"The new regulations constitutes key elements of labour reforms which part of them have already executed and the other parts will be in place in the near future," he said.These measures, he said, were expected to play a major role in advancing efforts towards creating an efficient labour market and sharpening competitiveness and transformation towards a knowledge-drive economy.

Rules Relaxed on workers Health Ckecks in UAE

ABU DHABI // Thousands of people with communicable diseases could be granted work permits after an overhaul of residency medical law.

Tests for hepatitis B will only apply to six specified professions, the Ministry of Health said yesterday. It will scrap all mandatory testing for hepatitis C. Testing for HIV/Aids remains in place and any expatriate who tests positive will be deported, the ministry said.

Examinations for both forms of hepatitis, a blood disease, previously applied to every expatriate wanting to live and work in the Emirates. Dr Mahmoud Fikri, the ministry’s executive director of health policies, said the changes were made after consulting a broad range of medical officials.

“Members from the Dubai Health Authority, Health Authority-Abu Dhabi and the Ministry of Health were involved in the technical committee,” he said. “This is the criteria. It is the same as other Gulf countries and will apply everywhere.”

Senior officials in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have spoken openly about their desire to amend the residency medical law, particularly those articles governing TB. Dr Ali al Marzouqi, the Dubai Health Authority head of public health and safety, said two months ago that the Federal law governing deportation of TB patients was outdated.

The management of some communicable diseases has come under fire in recent years from organisations such as the United Nations, as officials expressed concern about government policies driving illnesses such as TB underground because of the threat of deportation.

The six categories of expatriates affected are nannies; housemaids; nursery and kindergarten supervisors; workers in hairdressing saloons, beauty centres and health clubs; anyone working in processing or food-control authorities; and those employed in cafes and restaurants.

There was some confusion over the issue of mandatory pregnancy tests for maids, nannies and female drivers. Dr Fikri introduced it as a new provision despite its existence in the original 2008 law.

“This will be mandatory now,” he said. “We will do the test and then it will be the decision of the sponsor about whether he wants to proceed or not.” He declined to say what would happen if a positive result came from an unmarried woman.

The amendments to Article 2 of the original 2008 Ministry of Health law makes a hepatitis B vaccination mandatory on arrival in the UAE for the six categories.

“The hepatitis B vaccine must be given for the negative cases of the new six categories' arrivals on condition that they should take three doses and provide a certificate proving the dose,” the law states.

There were 479 cases of hepatitis C diagnosed in Abu Dhabi last year, 77 per cent of which involved expatriates, figures from the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi showed. Of last year’s 145 Abu Dhabi syphilis cases, 93 were found in expats. Figures from Dubai for 2008, the most recent available, show 48 of 52 cases of syphilis, 275 of 399 cases of hepatitis C and 802 of 864 hepatitis B cases involved expatriates. Syphilis testing will also apply only to the six professions and positive results will not result in deportation.

“Treatment must be provided to all positive cases before obtaining the health certificate for residency,” the amended law reads.

The rules governing tuberculosis will also be relaxed under the new amendment. Only patients with “new, old or active pulmonary tuberculosis (TB)” will be refused residency, the law says. Previously extra-pulmonary TB and active pneumonia were also deportable. TB tests as a requirement of renewal of visas have been scrapped.

Nidal al Kabbah, the senior charge nurse at the infectious disease unit at Rashid Hospital, praised the Ministry of Health for making the changes. His unit received 134 cases of pulmonary TB and a further 15 other varieties of the disease last year, he said. It was not known how many involved expats.

“It is great that they are encouraging and supporting every human being’s right to live and work,” he said. “At the same time, they are protecting the population who are already living and working here.”

Certain diseases should remain on the list of deportable diseases because of the increased risk they posed to the general public, Mr al Kabbah said. The hepatitis B bacteria, for example, can survive on surfaces outside the body for as long as two months.

“It is very important to test certain people for hepatitis B,” he said. “Imagine if someone in a kitchen cut themselves without realising it. The virus would spread.”

ID cards mandatory for government and banking services in UAE

Abu Dhabi: Anyone without the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) ID cards will soon be denied government and banking services across the country, a senior government official said on Monday.

"Applications submitted to the various governmental departments and banks across the country will shortly be rejected if the applicant has no ID card," Eida higher committee deputy head Dr Ali Al Khouri said.

Al Khouri was speaking on the sidelines of the ID World Forum a day after the card was made mandatory for residents to be able to access services such as vehicle registration and renewal.

Al Khouri did not give a time frame for the move, but said the beginning was to make the card mandatory for services offered by the traffic departments.

"The card will gradually be required to access services of other departments of the Interior and Labour ministries," he said.

"Then come services of banks, with the eventual goal of making the card mandatory for all services offered by the government and private sectors."

Al Khouri said the move was prompted by the lukewarm response from the public to register with the Eida. "A little bit more than 1.8 million Emiratis and residents have registered for the cards, which shows people have been slow in applying," he said.

With the threat of services of traffic departments being denied, around 5,000 people registered for the card on Monday, which is believed to be the highest number of applications made in a single day.

He said registration devices would be deployed at traffic departments across the country to meet the rush of people needing to register for the ID card.

Al Khouri expected that with the access of service being linked to the ID card, the number of people registered on a daily basis would double.

By the end of this year, applicants wishing to obtain residence visa or renew it will be required to produce the ID card, he said. By then Eida will be registering 9,000 to 12,000 people a day, he said.

Apart from being unable to avail themselves of certain government and banking transactions, no further fines will be issued to people who are not registered, at least for the time being, Al Khouri said.

Application forms are now available online at www.emiratesid.ae and at various printing and post offices, where applicants can provide documents, fill out forms, pay fees and make appointments to visit a registration centre for the final steps.

At registration centres, applicants will only be photographed and fingerprinted, which will take no more than five to seven minutes, he said. Currently there are 22 registration centres and 25 preventive medicine centres, which also offer registration services.

Two hundred new registration devices will be deployed to mobile centres to serve labourers.

Children younger than 15 need not apply for the cards in person.

Emiratis can use the national ID card to travel between all GCC countries except Saudi Arabia.

The government also plans to combine it with the driving licence and the labour card.

By the end of this month, the authority will receive the first shipment out of two million new cards with a swipe feature. The swipe cards are faster and can hold more data, Al Khouri said.

Holders of the older cards will be able to get the new swipe cards when they renew them. Nationals renew their cards every five years.

Residents renew each time their residency visa expires.

There are plans to add features to the ID cards, such as a so-called e-purse, an electronic signature and a Metro fare-paying facility.

Civil registry: Everyone must apply

Dr Ali Al Khouri, deputy head of the higher committee at Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said the authority would open a centre in Abu Dhabi that will be bigger than the one in Al Mushrif. "It will process up to 1,200 applications a shift," he said. "Another registration centre will be set up in Mussaffah by the end of this year to serve workers in industrial zones."

The existing 25 medical centres, where residents are tested before receiving their residency visas, will also serve as registration centres.

Combining the residency visa obtaining-and-renewal process with the ID cards will help the authority to finish registering all residents in the country within three years", Al Khouri said.

"The authority will also co-ordinate with schools and universities to activate their role in students' registration," he said.

Everyone in the country should be registered with a view to creating a civil registry of Emiratis and residents in the country.

Technology: Global standard

ID World Abu Dhabi brings together government representatives, law enforcement and border control authorities, cargo and passenger carriers, to discuss strategies in enhancing the reliability of our security and ICT infrastructures as well as plans in adopting smart technologies to achieve security and mobility.

Over 400 leaders and technology experts gathered to discuss tested strategies, best practices and innovations in elevating the automatic identification industry in the Middle East.

14,355 people caught for visa violations in U.A.E

A total of 14,355 people violating visa rules — including 801 border jumpers — were caught during investigations and searches in the first four months of this year, the Ministry of the Interior said.

The ministry warned against dealing with visa violators and border jumpers as they are a group which has "broken the law" in the words of Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Deputy director of Naturalisation, Residency and Checkpoints Affairs at the ministry.

He also said that the department responsible for following up these issues was able to hold 1275 infiltrators and violators between April 22 and 28.Al Minhali also announced that inspection teams affiliated to the department will continue their work relentlessly to bring border jumpers to justice, and warned whoever shelters violators would be subject to legal procedures.

ID card mandatory to avail all traffic services across U.A.E from May 2

From Sunday, ID cards issued by the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) will be mandatory to use any traffic and licensing services across the country, officials have announced.In a statement issued on Friday and carried by WAM, the Emirates News Agency, the Interior Ministry said that applications submitted to the various traffic departments in the country will be rejected if the applicant has no ID card.

Since November last year, residents of Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain — both nationals and expatriates — have been required to produce the ID card to access services such as such as vehicle registration, and renewal. From May 2, officials are extending this decision to cover the remaining three emirates — Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

Brigadier Gaith Hassan Al Za'abi, Director of the Traffic Department at the Interior Ministry called on all members of the public to register and complete procedures to obtain the ID cards at the earliest to avoid inconvenience.

Apart from being unable to use certain government transactions, no further fines will be issued, at least for the time being.Officials said they hope the denial of these essential services will urge the residents who still haven't obtained the card to come forward.

Obligatory

The Law of Population Register and Identity Card makes it obligatory for all citizens and residents of the UAE above the age of 15 to obtain the ID card for identification in various transactions.

But when contacted, Ahmad Hashim Al Behroozian, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Licensing Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said that they had not so far received any instruction from the Ministry of Interior to only consider Emirates ID as proof of personal identity to complete any transaction.

"We will continue to work as normal and presenting [an] Emirates Identity Card will not be mandatory for applicants to complete their traffic, licensing and vehicle registration related transactions," said Al Behroozian

Find out Visa validity of your Dubai visit visa, resident visa online

You can find out your visa status ,validity and resident application status etc online using General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai web site. Please click the web site url
https://www.ednrd.ae/portal/pls/portal/INIMM_DB.DBPK_VISAVALIDITY.Query_VisaValidity


 Please note that Extension for Tourist Visa can only be applied online IF there is NO overstaying sponsored person on the Establishment

Criteria for obtaining a health card in Dubai

In order to obtain a residency visa and labour card, all expatriates are required to undergo a medical and blood test. Employers usually arrange for all the necessary paperwork.

If you are not covered by a company or private medical insurance, it is advisable to apply for a health card which entitles residents to low cost medical treatment at public hospitals and clinics. An application form can be collected from any public hospital then submitted (typed in Arabic), along with the correct documents to your local Health Care Center. The health card is valid for one year and can be renewed online.

Documents required:

Passport copy
Covering letter from sponsor
Visa application copy
2 passport size photographs
Completed application form
Fees
Citizens (card valid for 4 years)0-9 Years - AED 2510-17 Years - AED 5018 Years and Above - AED 100
Non Citizens(card valid for 1 year) 0-9 Years - AED 100 10-17 Years - AED 200 17 Years and Above - AED 300
plus AED 200/- for medical examination
For more information, please visit the Department of Health and Medical Services

Dual residency backed by GCC immigration chiefs

Moves to introduce dual residency for professional expatriates living in the GCC have been officially backed by the Gulf’s immigration chiefs, at a meeting in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. The reccomendation will now be sent to each government and if approved would see all expatriates with “first degrees”, such as doctors, engineers, businessmen and lawyers, being free to live and work in all six Gulf states without having to gain new residency permits. This would make it easier for companies to deploy staff to different offices in the region, agreed delegates at the 24th meeting of the GCC director generals of naturalisation and residency departments.

Acting director general of the UAE's Ministry of Interior Naturalisation and Residency Department said he strongly supported the move in an interview with UAE daily Khaleej Times.Brigadier Nassir Al Awadi Al Menhali told the newspaper the UAE was already studying how to implement the system."The UAE supports all the ways to facilitate the expatriates and nationals movement among the GCC countries," Al Menhali said.However, it would be up to each country to set up agreements with other Gulf states to establilsh double residency visas, he added."The GCC director-generals agreed that the GCC residents can enter as usual under the current laws, while each country has the right to approve the mutual residency with the other countries, according to the naturalisation and residency laws and regulations," he explained.GCC residents looking for new jobs would also be allowed to enter other Gulf states on visit visas, before securing employment, he said. "We allow the GCC residents to enter the country on visit visa(s) in accordance to the naturalisation and residency law, and in case of finding a job they can apply to get the residency." Roll-out across the GCC of the e-link immigration system set up between the UAE and Oman was also in the process of being finalised, said Colonel Ahmed Fahd Bu Hindi, deputy secretary general of security affairs at the General Secretariat of GCC.