Employees working on holidays must be 'adequately compensated'

Dubai: They stand at the cashiers returning change when the rest of the country buys holiday snacks, tanks up on petrol for long trips away, and generally enjoys itself.

Most workers in Dubai's service industries work right through holiday periods like the current three-day break for Eid, with businesses eyeing precious days off as a boom time to make money, not rest at home.

Others are simply ordered to remain at their desk jobs, perhaps processing a backlog of work, returning correspondence or filing.

Statistics were not available regarding how many complaints are given to the Ministry of Labour regarding forced work on official holidays.

But from the letters Gulf News receives during every holiday, it appears that many Dubai-based businesses are turning a blind eye towards allowing their workers to take holidays official holidays, demanded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

They include a blue-collar worker who only listed his name as "concerned" as he wrote to Gulf News.

"The company has forced us to report to work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday," he reported.

The Ministry's assistant secretary for labour, Humaid Bin Deemas, said if bosses turn a blind eye to holidays, workers must speak up.

"Workers must be compensated for any official holiday they work. Workers should be asked, not forced to work on official holidays, if there is a pressing reason to do so. And they must be compensated appropriately."

Bin Deemas said workers forced, without any compensation, to work official holidays have every right to file a complaint at the ministry.

"The Labour Relations Department will look into the complaint, which is justified if one is forced to work on an official holiday, and will take appropriate action."

He said workers should not be scared of their employer's reaction if they file a complaint. "The UAE labour law does not allow employers to fire workers who make a complaint, and action will be taken against employers who do so."

Federal Law No 8 of 1980 says that workers are entitled to leave with full pay on several fixed days, including New Years and several Islamic celebration days. Most senior labour officials have said that workers can refuse to work on an official holiday, and should be compensated if they do work.

Lawyer Yousuf Ja'afar earlier told Gulf News workers had to be compensated if they were asked to work on official holidays by being given a day off and 50 per cent of their basic salary. If workers are not given a day off in lieu, they must be given 150 per cent of their basic salary. 

Leave with full pay on national holidays

The UAE's labour law Federal Law No 8, 1980, says that every worker is entitled to leave with full pay on: