Labour ministry liquidates Dh4m bank guarantees in favour of 1,200 unpaid workers

The Ministry of Labour has liquidated bank guarantees worth more than Dh4 million to pay salaries of 1,200 workers after their employer, an Asian investor, fled the country, leaving them unpaid for three months, a senior official said today.

Humaid Rashid bin Demas, Acting Undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour, has stated that "Under the directives of the Minister of Labour, Saqr Ghobash, the said establishment's case was referred to Dubai Public Prosecution to take the necessary legal action against it, while the Ministry today liquidated the bank guarantees valued at over Dh4 million to pay delayed salaries of three months.

He confirmed that the ministry guarantees the right of any worker who wish to file a case against the fugitive employer, adding that officials contacted at Dubai Courts have shown their readiness to form a special juridical committee look into cases and speed up the verdict.

The undersecretary also confirmed that the ministry will work with the competent authorities such as Dubai police and the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs to facilitate travel procedures for workers who would like to depart to their countries or provide instant approvals should they wish to transfer to other companies.

He said: “The Asian investor was called after the workers stopped their activities and filed a complaint against him regarding delay in their payments. After an inspection conducted by the ministry, the investor has presented a written pledge to deliver the payments according to a schedule which signed by the worker, but he has fled the country right before the payment was due.”

The undersecretary added that the ministry has stopped issuing work permits for workers coming from the investor's establishments as soon as the ministry was informed of his violations.

“The ministry will not be lenient with any establishment that delays salaries of workers,” he warned.

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