UAE | Visa
Salary change applications to be monitored closely
The Ministry of Labour is tightening its procedures on changing salary amount in the labour contract as some low-income workers are increasing theirs to meet the minimum salary requirements to sponsor a family, said a senior official.
- By Wafa Issa, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:31 July 30, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
- Many employers agree to increase the salaries of the employees to enable them to sponsor their families.
Dubai: The Ministry of Labour is tightening its procedures on changing salary amount in the labour contract as some low-income workers are increasing theirs to meet the minimum salary requirements to sponsor a family, said a senior official.
Saif Al Suwaidi, Acting Executive Director for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Labour, said the ministry is monitoring any salary change application closely.
"We do not change the salary amount or the profession of a person in the labour contract unless the person provides clear evidence that the change is actual and not just a token change," said Al Suwaidi.
Currently the Federal National Council (FNC) is calling for a minimum wage of Dh8,000 if an expatriate is provided accommodation and Dh10,000 if he or she is not provided with it to sponsor the family.
The proposal hopes to adjust the demographic imbalance of the UAE, where Emiratis constitute only about 20 per cent of the total population of the country.
Many employers agree to increase the salaries of the employees to enable them to sponsor their families.
However, the increase is only on paper and the employee receives the lesser amount. "This is an illegal practice and people who do this are deceiving and swindling the authorities," said Al Suwaidi.
Al Suwaidi was reacting to a worker's enquiry who wanted to change his profession from a warehouse keeper to a sales executive. It was submitted during the open day yesterday at the ministry's premises in Dubai.
The worker's application was rejected as he did not have the required qualification for working in the country as a sales executive.
There are currently about 1,850 professions registered at the Ministry of Labour, many of which require a university degree for a worker to be placed in a particular category.
As per labour law, the ministry does not accept any labour contract of a person who does not meet the requirements.
Fast facts
Any expatriate who wants to sponsor his family must have a minimum salary of Dh3,000 if the company provides accommodation or Dh4,000 if the remuneration package does not include accommodation, according to UAE law.
Your comments
The UAE law should benchmark minimum salaries for all expats due to the increased cost of living and other important emerging factors. At the same time, it should make laws to ensure that the employers are really adhering to it. Yes, Dh4000 is good enough to sponsor a family, what about survival?
Dr. Rahman
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 15:15
If possible the authorities should monitor the salaries given to the employees in the UAE so that they can afford the living standards here.
Chachaa
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 13:41
I think Dh3000 is very reasonable amount for a person with a small family to bring his family here. It's affordable.
Bilal
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 12:06
I hope the authorities will look closely, how the medium income people can live with peace in mind with their family and they can work hard to develop UAE. It is very hard to work here without family around.
Faisal
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 11:54
Its a good step to improve the standards of Life.
Because if the person who tries the wrong visa to bring his loved ones, start living below the living standards and on other hand he cannot have the savings as well.
If the same person keeps his family in his home country.It would be more comfortable for him and his family, which he being emotional, cannot think of.
Faheem Omar
Dubai,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 11:36
Dh4000 salary is sufficent to bring family in Al Ain, UAE.
Ram Khadka
Al Ain,UAE
Posted: July 31, 2009, 10:18
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