Workers receive Dh106m in unpaid wages after labour court rulings

More than 3,800 workers in Abu Dhabi have received their unpaid wages in full after the emirate’s labour court ruled in their favour.

The court passed judgments in these cases in the first three months of this year. The workers received more than Dh106 million ($28.8m), Abu Dhabi Judicial Department said.

Figures released by Abu Dhabi Labour Court showed that rulings were issued in 1,893 of the 1,932 claims registered at the Court of First Instance between January and March. The other cases are pending.

During the same period, 506 cases were moved up to the Court of Appeal and verdicts were given in 490 of them. Sixteen cases are pending.

The Labour Court also received 24,687 online requests that were all settled amicably without appeal.

Private companies must pay salaries into employees’ bank accounts to avoid fines. Salaries should be transferred through the Wage Protection System on fixed dates. Wages not transferred within 10 days of the due date are considered late payments and there are fines for companies that flout the rules.

Employees can file complaints with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation if any of their rights under the law are not honoured.

The ministry tries to work out an amicable settlement between the employees and employer within two weeks, but if that does not happen it forwards the dispute to the Labour Court.

Once an approval to take the case to court is issued by the ministry, the employees must register the case in court. A group of employees can file one complaint online but should include all the names of the complainants.

Once the complaint has been filed, the labour authority notifies the employer and holds a hearing before the ministry.

Staff should submit documents such as a copy of the employment contract, visa, Emirates ID and most recent salary receipt, and prove that salaries were not paid, which can be easily done through the WPS.

Labour dispute cases in Abu Dhabi courts can be registered online. Hearings can be held remotely or at the workers’ homes in cases that involve a large number of complainants, through the Mobile Court.

“This is to ensure that cases are promptly settled and judgments enforced according to the labour law and its regulations, in order to serve the rights of both parties and to strengthen the stability of the labour market,” said Saeed Al Abri, undersecretary of Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

“Figures [for the first three months of this year] reflect the extent of achievements and efforts made to ensure that justice has been served and people were granted their entitlements in record time.

“This is in line with the vision of the Abu Dhabi government to develop a judicial system that delivers world-class services and supports growth and investment.”

Figures released by Abu Dhabi Labour Court showed that rulings were issued in 1,893 of the 1,932 claims