Firms asked to list above-50 expats who want to return
abu dhabi — Companies in Abu Dhabi have been asked to provide details of their employees aged 50 or above who are wanting to return to their home country amid the Covid-19 crisis.
“With a view towards protecting the labour rights in Abu Dhabi and providing support to the same in the present circumstances due to the repercussions of the coronavirus crisis, the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) is pleased to coordinate with entities looking to send the workers whose age is over 50 years and registered with your company, provided that you will pay the costs incurred by their travel to their home country,” read a statement issued by the DED.
To facilitate and expedite coordination, the DED asked the firms to access the link https://survey.ded. abudhabi.ae/index.php?r=survey/
index&sid=955521&lang=en and fill out information related to the workers they have nominated.
Companies have also been asked to grant the aged employee indefinite leave so that authorities can enumerate them and determine their travel destinations to their home countries.
The first page of the survey website, which requires firms to add data of workers aged 50 and above, has seven questions to be filled. These include the industrial licence number, company name as per the industrial licence, contact person name (company manager, owner), contact person mobile number, contact person direct landline number and contact person e-mail address.
New move a relief
Bangladeshi expat Khalid Muhdeen, 52, who is working for a facilities management company in Abu Dhabi, said he was planning to travel in March. “But, I couldn’t travel because of the current situation as all international flights were suspended,” said Muhdeen, adding that he has spent two years without going home to see his wife and children.
Mohammed Rafiq, a Pakistani expat working in Musaffah industrial area, also welcomed the initiative. “Some expats have families and other obligations back home. I believe this government initiative will benefit many expats,” he said.