Labour card fees linked to company classification
Some companies will have to pay only Dh300 to renew a two-year labour card while others will have to pay Dh5,000 for a similar transaction
Dubai: Some companies will have to pay only Dh300 to renew a two-year labour card while others will have to pay Dh5,000 for a similar transaction, according to the new fee structure based on the recently announced company classification system.
For example, the cost of labour cards for expatriate fishermen has been reduced to Dh300 per year from Dh3,000 at present. The decision will come into effect from January 2011.
Announcing the new fees for labour cards and labour permits, Saqr Gobash Saeed Gobash, Minister of Labour, said companies that fail to renew labour cards on time will face a fine of Dh1,000 each month per card.
The minister had earlier said a delay in the renewal of labour cards would result in a fine of Dh5,000 per year from the date of expiry of the card.
Transfers
According to the new rules, the fees for transferring workers from one establishment to another will also cost a company between Dh300 and Dh5,000 depending on its classification.
According to Article 2 of the resolution, all companies employing an Emirati will be exempt from paying labour card fees.
Gobash recently issued a new resolution classifying establishments into groups in accordance with the degree of their compliance with labour legislation, systems and standards, cultural diversity approach and on-time payment of salaries, provision of accommodation and Emiratisation quota.
Incentive
Gobash said the new system will help a firm to move higher on the classification scale based on their commitment to certain standards like Emiratisation, wages, labour accommodations and other labour marker requirements in addition to cross-cultural policy.
The resolution ranks companies on the basis of certain conditions.
Companies have to ensure that at least 20 per cent of the workforce under them comes from the professional levels (1-2-3).
One of the conditions is that a worker’s monthly pay should not be less than Dh12,000 if he is in level 1, Dh7,000 in 2 and Dh5,000 in 3.
The Emiratisation rate should not be under 15 per cent in these levels.
NEW FEE STRUCTURE
First: Establishment registration fees
