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Ministry deals a blow to 'miscreant' employers

ABU DHABI - A new system has been devised to put an end to exploitation of the workforce by certain miscreant employers by obliging them that information in applications for employment visas must conform to the terms stated in the labour contract. The new system will detect any misleading information that employment visa applications might contain, said a top labour ministry official.

Speaking to Khaleej Times yesterday, Dr Khalid Mohammed Al Khazraji, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, said under the system, employment visas will not be issued unless the information included in the employment visa application conforms to the terms stated in the labour contract before attestation.

He said the system will make it mandatory for employers to stick to the information included in the employment visa application prior to obtaining a labour permit. "The move will force employers to abide by the terms stated in the labour contract as per the federal labour law No. 8 of 1980 set by the country, and avert unscrupulous attempts to alter articles agreed upon earlier," said Dr Khazraji.

He noted that some companies submit false information to the ministry about the qualifications of the employees it wishes to recruit while applying for employment visas.

"Other facilities sometimes give information about the salary structure and other entitlements of the employees, that are forged and contradict the terms mentioned while endorsing the labour contract," he added.

He said the system, which will be implemented soon with the support of the e-services adopted by the ministry, will reduce the number of labour disputes involving non-commitment with the terms of the labour contract.

Besides, the system will also help in overcoming disagreement that might rise between the employers and the employees they intend to recruit from abroad.

The under-secretary's comment came in the wake of a labour complaint lodged by 23 Chinese labourers against their sponsor for not complying with the terms mentioned in the letter of offer.

The labourers, who are mainly technicians and work for a contracting company complained that the articles of the letter of offer did not conform to the terms stated in the labour contract. The Asian workers, who were on probation period did not accept the ministry's amicable solution to conclude a new contract in accordance with the labour law and regulations.

According to a source at the Labour Relations Department at the ministry, the labourers got their visa cancelled and left the country.