Saturday 28 May 2011

Locals to get 3-7% and expats 5% salary hike

Emiratis will get seven per cent while expatriates will receive five per cent salary hike based on their outstanding performance under the recently-announced increment for Dubai government employees, a senior official said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, on Wednesday ordered the payment of annual performance-based increment for employees of the Government of Dubai for last year.

Amal Bin Adi, Director-General of the Human Resources Department of Dubai Government, told 'Emarat Al Youm' that increment will be given on basic salary.

She said those Emiratis whose performances just meets the expectations will get three per cent salary hike of their basic salary.

The Human Resources Department also emphasised that those employees who have completed six months in the job and those who are on duty and not resigned from the work will qualify for the increment.

“The increment will be given to employees of 42 departments and institutions of the Dubai government under the provisions of the human resources law of the Government of Dubai No. 27 of 2006, as amended and applied performance management system to the staff of the Government of Dubai,” she said.
Employees who completed six months in the job and those on duty and not resigned will qualify for the increment

Visa, ID to be linked in Ajman from June 1

Renewal or issuance of residence permits would be linked directly with ID card registration in Ajman from the June 1, the Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has announced.

The Gulf Today quoted a senior EIDA official making a statement to this effect.

In a statement, Abdul Aziz Al Maamari, director of Public Relations and Marketing, Eida, said this would mark the fifth stage of the operation in the Emirate.

The issuance of ID card would be subject to completing preventive medicine procedures, and the residence visas would be issued only if the applicant submits the ID registration documents are submitted along with other regular documents.

Al Maamari clarified that the registration receipt with the ID seal will be one of the main documents required by Ajman residents to obtain or renew residency permits.

For those residents whose permits will be issued or renewed in Ajman and who want to obtain an ID card, the official said that they should go to an authorised typing office in the Emirate, the customers will then need to go to the Preventive Medicine Centre in Ajman for medical examination before heading directly to the Eida’s Ajman Registration Centre.

Eida has already started linking ID card registration with residence issuance or renewal procedures through registration centres annexed or close to preventive medicine centers in UAQ, Fujairah, RAK, Dibba Al Hisn, Al Dhaid and the Western Region.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Six-month ban on job- remains in UAE, but with conditions


Employees need to work a minimum of two years in a company and can transfer to another facility of the same employer

Labour Ministry has clarified the amendments it made to labour laws early this week and said the six-month ban on job transfers remains, but with certain conditions, reported Arabic language daily Al Khaleej.
Humaid bin Dimas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs, said: "While the amendments in labour laws aim to improve employer-employee relationship and make it easier for people to switch jobs, if the agreements between the two parties are not adhered to or employees breach any of the labour laws, such as not spending a minimum two years with an employer, then they can face a six-month ban."
"There will be no ban if employees transfer to another facility of the same employer or to those companies in which the employer has a share in or is a partner" he said.
Employees will not be banned on taking up another job if the facility is shutting down or they are not paid salaries for more than 60 days. But in such cases the employee must alert the Labour Ministry and submit a report from the Inspection Department within two months, Al Suwaidi added.
Alternatively, employees can also approach the Labour Ministry in cases of unfair dismissal from work without justification; termination before the contract period ends; denial of contract renewal without a valid reason; etc. However, employees should be clear of any breach of practice.
Al Suwaidi said, as per the new amendments, all categories of workers have the right to transfer jobs, but did not specify the number of times a worker can transfer employment.
"The system of transferring sponsorship, which has been valid for more than 30 years, is abolished," he said and called on employers to speeden up renewal of labour contracts.
Meanwhile, according to a source in the ministry, establishments that fall under Category 1 is exempted from providing a bank guarantee.
The Ministry of Labour has amended the labourers' Visa Transfer Law, which, I believe, are in favour of both - the labourers and the labour market. The ministry has ceased the previous condition that obligates the labourer to complete one year continuous service for his/her employer before being permitted to transfer his/her visa to another employer.

According to the new rule, the Ministry of Labour no longer requires such a condition. So, any labourer who has not completed a year's service for his/her employer may transfer to another employer after obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the employer to transfer the visa to another employer, provided that the newly imposed fees should be settled. Such fees are called "the one year non-completion fees" which is calculated at the rate of Dh500 per month. For instance, if the employee continues a period of two months service only then he/she would be obliged to pay a fee of Dh5,000 for 10 months.

Now any labourer, who completes a period of  years service and who could not obtain an NOC, can resign and can approach the Ministry of Labour and the ministry - as per his demand - will cancel the visa and apply a six-month ban. With the new rules and upon completion of three years' service, this ban can be lifted and the employee can transfer to another employer without the need to obtain such NOC from the previous employer, provided that the newly imposed fees should be settled in addition to the visa transfer fees. Such new fees are called 'ban lifting fees'. Worth saying is that this new law is not applicable in Abu Dhabi but might be in the future. Therefore, the reader as per the new law will not have any problem as long as the company has promised to grant him a n NOC to transfer his visa.