Labour disputes drop 40% in Abu Dhabi
Fall in cases follows awareness campaigns on rights and duties of workers and employers
Abu Dhabi: A 40% drop was recorded in labour disputes in 2022 compared to 2021 in Abu Dhabi as a result of awareness efforts, which contributed to strengthening the legal culture of workers and companies.
Counselor Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, attributed the achievement to successful awareness campaigns carried out by the Department in cooperation with strategic partners, in line with the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to consolidate legal knowledge for all segments of society.
Al Abri said the progress of legal procedures in labour cases, and the manner in which disputes are addressed in the labour court, constituted a major support in enhancing economic stability institutionally and individually.
Furthermore, through these awareness campaigns, the Department is keen to reach many customers by visiting their locations and providing them with translations of up to five languages (Arabic, English, Urdu, Pashto and Bengali) to make targeted groups aware of the important legal articles that guarantee their rights, and to answer their questions and inquiries and provide legal advice as well.
Rights and duties
During the past year, several campaigns were directed at workers accommodations with the intention to make labourers familiar with their obligations as stated in the new labour law. The campaigns emphasised the need to comply with occupational safety and health instructions, to preserve production means and tools, not to possess work related papers or electronic documents for personal interests, to adhere to good conduct, not to disclose secrets, to maintain the work, to diligently develop functional and professional skills and to raise performance level.
The campaigns also aimed at introducing employees to contracting procedures with employers, to the correct methods and channels for filing complaints, to obtaining the rights under the employment contract in case of termination of the contract or the employer’s failure to fulfil his or her obligations, and regarding the termination requirements.
The 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, the importance of referring to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in the event the agreed job opportunity was not provided by the employer or the worker did not receive the salary on time, are all highlighted by these campaigns which also stressed the employee’s right to leave the company upon fulfilling his obligations, and the importance of adhering to the laws of the state in expressing dissatisfaction, filing complaints through legal means.