Panel of Dubai judges to tackle cases after domestic workers law change

Dubai’s labour court is to appoint a panel of judges to oversee cases related to the updated domestic workers law introduced last month.

The chief justice of Dubai Labour Court, Judge Jamal Salem Al Jaberi, said that the court will soon assign the panel for a new “judicial circuit” that will look into and rule on cases filed by domestic workers. The panel will sit for the first time two months after the law’s publication in the official gazette on September 22.

“Domestic workers’ cases were excluded from the labour law and were mainly handled by residency departments across the country before they were referred to the Ministry of Labour at the beginning of this year,” said Mr Al Jaberi, who added that the updated law promoted decent working conditions including rest hours, an assigned weekend day off, sick leave, end of service and the right to keep possession of their official documents such as ID and passport.

He said the court was currently engaged in meetings with relevant authorities to secure a smooth transition of all domestic cases, of which he estimated there were about 1,500 in Dubai in both 2015 and last year.

According to the new law, domestic workers will file their complaints with the Ministry of Labour, which will refer them to court if an amicable settlement cannot be reached.

“Just like in labour court, the employer in a case filed by a domestic worker will have to attend before the court to face charges, such as failing to pay wages, depriving the worker from weekend and rest hours or not providing decent working conditions,” Mr Al Jaberi said. “The employer can also file a case. For example, if the worker was causing damages or failing to fulfill their duties, and if employers were unsatisfied with the worker within the six-month probation period, unlike before, they can get all their money back.”