UAE | Employment

Former Al Futtaim Group employees welcome decision

The group of Emiratis made redundant last week due to the global financial downturn and whose case was the catalyst for the decision regulating the termination of Emiratis in the private sector, said the move was needed to protect the right to work in their own country.

  • By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 09:11 February 19, 2009
  • Gulf News

Dubai: The group of Emiratis made redundant last week due to the global financial downturn and whose case was the catalyst for the decision regulating the termination of Emiratis in the private sector, said the move was needed to protect the right to work in their own country.

Last week, the group, former employees of the Al Futtaim Group, filed a complaint at the Ministry of Labour for arbitrary termination and demanded immediate reinstatement.

The company had ended their services citing “the restructuring of the company in the light of the current global financial crisis''.

Shedding light

The group was also looking into the possibility of filing a court case against the company if the ministry did not find a solution to their problem.

Humaid Bin Deemas, Acting Director-General at the ministry, had said that the case shed light on the need to regulate the termination of Emiratis working in the private sector.

“We have not come to a decision with regard to this particular case but we will deal with it in accordance to the new rules,'' he said.

Ahmad Al Naqbi, one of the Emiratis made redundant, told Gulf News, the decision was what was needed to protect the rights of Emiratis in their country, especially under such hard circumstances.

“I feel secure as a citizen of this country especially as the government took quick action to preserve our rights. Just the issuing of such a decision gave some form of moral compensation,'' said Al Naqbi.

“I will personally wait to take the case to court until I see how this decision will be translated on the ground,'' he added.

Khulood Al Ali, who used to work as an operator for the Al Futtaim Group, said the decision gives them protection as Emiratis, but he wants to take the case to court.

“The company has not showed any willingness to solve this problem amicably and therefore we need to take it to court especially as we now have a clear rule that protects our rights,'' Al Ali said.

Real terms

Ahmad Al Nassai, a former sales executive, said theoretically the decision was great but one had to wait and see how it would be translated in real terms.

The Al Futtaim Group declined to comment on the ministerial decision and on any future steps to be taken regarding the case.

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