Over 1,000 unpaid workers to get dues after owner absconds

Abu Dhabi: Over 1,000 workers employed by an Abu Dhabi-based company were provided with other jobs with similar pay after the owner absconded, officials said on Wednesday.

The workers’ case is in court and a lawyer has been appointed to represent them as they fight for their rights, the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) said. The workers’ troubles began in February and, by the end of the same month, all 1,004 employees were transferred to a job with equal or better pay and benefits, said Fatima Al Badwawi, acting head of the Human Rights Office at the ADJD.

Al Badwawi was speaking at a media round-table held on Wednesday in the capital.

“In fact, fees for not renewing their labour cards were waived and by the end of this month, over 300 workers are expected to have verdicts issued in their cases which means that they will likely get all their outstanding salaries and other dues,” she added.

Al Badwawi said that the owner had not paid the employees since October and was planning on selling the company before the employees’ lawyer stepped in to their defence.

“A special section was set up at the Court of Labour with one judge and a secretary to oversee the case — which is why all procedures took so little time,” the official said.

The Human Rights office also announced plans to allow parents with joint custody of their children to ‘visit’ them through online video chatting software.

“It is just a matter of finding out the best mechanism to do so — whether both parties should agree on a designated video chatting software or if they should do so through the ADJD website,” she said.