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No fines on expired labour card if worker has left UAE

ABU DHABI — Companies will not be fined for expired labour card if the worker has left the country. This was clarified during the open day held yesterday at the Ministry of Labour (MoL) office in the capital.

The ministry’s officials met 28 applicants to resolve their problems.

Obaid Rashid Al Zahmi, assistant undersecretary in the MoL, Saleh Al Jabri, director of Firms’ Services Department, and Khalil Khoury, director of the Work Permits Department were present on the occasion.

While dealing with a company’s application relating to waiver of fines for expired labour cards, Khoury clarified, ‘No fine will be imposed on companies if the labour card has expired and the worker has departed from the UAE. Fines would be imposed only if the workers, whose labour cards have expired, are still present in the country.’

The open day also dealt with a case in which a Pakistani had applied for transfer of sponsorship. Assistant undersecretary Al Zahmi said, in such cases the worker should present proof that he/she has received all the financial dues before cancellation and transfer of sponsorship.

Al Zahmi also refused to issue new work permits to Janco Constructing Co. until the company arranged suitable accommodation for its employees.

In another case, he rejected the request of a construction and trading company for a fine waiver and referred the case to the inspection department as the company had more than 12 violations of the labour law.

Al Zahmi also ordered a manpower company Al Shamsi International Services Co. to submit details of all the workers it had brought into the country. This decision was taken keeping in view the ministry’s efforts to check violations by manpower importers.

The ministry officials also looked at some cases and initiated efforts to resolve them speedily on humanitarian grounds.

Abdullah Ahmed, a worker who was injured in an accident, had incurred all the treatment expenses. After his company refused to reimburse his medical bills, he filed a complaint with the MoL.

‘The company should pay all the medical expenses. And the worker has the right to transfer the case to the court,’ Al Zahmi ruled.

In the case of a Sudanese who applied for quashing of the ‘absconder’ tag because he had not reported for duty due to his mother’s ailment, Al Zahmi referred it to the Dispute and Labour Affairs Department for necessary action.

The ministry rejected an application seeking issuance of work permits because the company concerned had not submitted the employees’ salary list for the last three months.