ABU DHABI, UAE – Labor disputes in Abu Dhabi plunged by 40 percent in 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, local media reports said.
This follows awareness efforts which contributed to strengthening the legal knowledge of workers and companies, and introducing them to their rights guaranteed by the Labor Laws in the UAE, according to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD).
Counsellor Youssef Saeed Al Abri, the Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, said the companies and individuals’ increased awareness of laws in force in the country played a key role in the results.
This includes the successful awareness campaigns carried out by the Department in cooperation with strategic partners.
The Department aims to reach a large number of clients through the campaigns by visiting their locations and providing them with translations in up to five languages such as Arabic, English, Urdu, Pashto and Bengali.
Al Abdri pointed out that the progress of legal procedures in labor cases, and the manner in which disputes are addressed in the labor court, helped achieve enhancing economic stability for institutions and individuals.
This is as per the ADJD strategic plan and the emirate’s vision, which contributed to supporting the status of the emirate as an attractive destination for foreign investment and business, he added.
The decline in labor cases reflects the Department’s efforts to spread the legal culture through awareness campaigns for employees.
During the past year, several campaigns were conducted at labor camps to make laborers familiar with their obligations stipulated in the new labor law.
The campaigns emphasized the need to comply with occupational safety and health instructions, not to possess work related papers or electronic documents for personal interests.
The campaigns also aimed at introducing employees to contracting procedures with employers and channels for filing complaints.
This includes obtaining the rights under the employment contract in case of termination of the contract or the employer’s failure to fulfill his or her obligations.
The campaign further unveiled mechanism for obtaining unemployment insurance, regulations of transfer to another facility for work, the way to obtain a new work permit as per the specified rules.
Importance of referring to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization in case the agreed job opportunity was not provided by the employer or the worker did not receive the salary on time, are all part of these campaigns.
The awareness drives also stressed the employees’ right to leave the company upon fulfilling his obligations, and the importance of adhering to the laws to express dissatisfaction, file complaints through legal means without causing chaos and gatherings.
