No work permits for firms in partner disputes

The Ministry of Labour will not issue work permits to companies whose partners are found to be in disputes as they could easily violate workers’ rights.

A weekly meeting of the labour committee in Abu Dhabi on Monday observed that when business partners slip into disputes, it usually leads to administrative issues that lead to non-renewal of licenses by the relevant authorities, Sharjah-based Arabic language daily Al Khaleej reported.

This would force the ministry to close their files which could lead to the companies failing to meet their obligations to the workers, officials told the gathering in response to a plea made by an employer to get work permits for three workers despite the fact that his licensed was frozen owing to a dispute with his partner.

But the company owner promised to complete all formalities for the renewal of his license that was not renewed owing to a dispute with his business partner. Now that a court has ruled in his favour, the employer assured the ministry of completing all the procedures while the judicial order in his favour is enforced.

The labour committee however reiterated that it will not issue work permits to companies whose partners are fighting each other, or have violated workers’ rights.

In another case that came up on the occasion, the committee turned down the request by a company owner to get his commercial file re-opened after it was closed for not renewing work permits of three workers who have since been convicted in criminal cases.
To a request from another employer who was slapped with a fine for not renewing a labour permit of one his employees, the committee said it would consider the case once proper documents are presented.

Presenting his case, the employer said the worker who was under his sponsorship had violated the law by illegally working for a farm owned by another person.

To a complaint by a female employee who accused her employer of sexual harassment, the committee directed her to the law enforcement authorities since it did not fall under the ministry’s purview.