Abu Dhabi: More than 27,000 establishments, which committed violations before August 1, will have their penalties waived, according to a decision issued by Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE).
Not only that, but the ministry will also unblock work permits for more than 12,000 workers, who violated the law regulating labour relations and were blocked before August 1, according to another decision issued by the ministry.
The two decision were approved by the 'Supreme National Committee for Tolerance' during its meeting chaired by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Accordingly, Nasser Bin Thani Al Hamli Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, issued the two resolution to celebrate the Year of Tolerance.
“These two resolutions comes as part of the ministry’s initiative to support the Year of Tolerance and are to highlight the leadership’s keenness to enhance the noble human values system in the UAE society”, said Al Hamli.
“The ministry is always striving to enhance tolerance in the labour market and transform it into sustainable institutional work in a way that contributes to achieving more stability in the labor relationship. We are doing so by supporting employers and workers, reducing burdens in a way that does not contradict with the law and ensuring the happiness of contractual parties”, the minister added.
Al Hamli stressed that the two resolutions give enterprises and workers an important opportunity to abide by effective laws and regulations and not to commit other violations that would expose them to penalties provided for.
Noura Al Marzouqi, Assistant Undersecretary for Policy and Strategy at MoHRE, said: “Lifting the moratorium on the concerned facilities was made effective after the ministry made sure of some points. These include that these establishments have fulfilled all rights of its employees and are not suspended by other parties, that the cancellation will not affect any financial rights of the country and that the suspension was made and have not been resolved until the date of this decision”
Al Marzouqi added that the ministry’s decision applies to all facilities suspended before August 1, 2019.
Speaking on unblocking work permits, she said: “The waiving decision will only benefit workers who were blocked before August 1, 2019, where new work permits will be allowed for two categories of workers who were previously denied permits.
The first category includes workers of the third, fourth and fifth skill levels and who agreed with the employers to end their contractual relationship during the probation period contrary to the ministry’s applicable regulations.
The second category benefiting from this decision includes workers who failed to visit the ministry within 60 days of issuing a judicial ruling in their labour disputes, which goes against the ministry’s applicable regulations where new work permit for a non-compliant worker would accordingly be rejected for one year since the date of issuing the verdict”, Al Marzouqi stated.
It is worth mentioning that the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation stipulates that new work permits should be granted to workers of the above-mentioned levels one year after the date of amicably terminating the contractual relationship between the two parties during the probation period of six months. First and second skill levels are exempted of this condition.
Skill levels
The first includes specialised professions, which require a high degree of scientific, technical and administrative skills with a minimum of a university degree.
The second skill level includes technical occupations that require scientific and technical skills as well as practical and supervisory skills with study of two to three years after high school.
The third skill level includes jobs, which require practical and professional skills, with a secondary school qualification, while the fourth level includes jobs that require practical and vocational skills related to only part of the work.
The fifth skill level includes a segment of the workforce associated with a limited skill set.
