For Blossom and DH, July was a difficult month. Rent was paid, their cats fed, and the family trip to Spain only a week away. Then came the termination letter. "Bombshell dropped yesterday," Blossom lamented on a UAE-based blog, frantic for advice. "We're trying to understand when we'd have to leave, where we go, and what we do with the cats.
"I am so disappointed in this treatment, but shouldn't be surprised."
This is, of course, a faceless tale told from the safety of the internet. That doesn't make it any less real for those of the country's skilled and professional expatriate workers who have faced similar conundrums. Now, improvements to the labour law should make this situation less frequent.
As The National reported yesterday, new laws announced by the Ministry of Labour aim to provide employees more freedom to change jobs. Professionals will not require a no-objection certificate to work for another company. Gone, too, are the dreaded six-month freezes in employment when one job ends. Unskilled workers, meanwhile, will see their contract lengths drop from three years to two.
It's difficult to overstate the magnitude of these changes, and how important these rules are to the nation's future. For employees, the advantage is obvious. If an employer makes false promises or working conditions are unsuitable, they can look for a new job.
Businesses, too, will reap rewards by having access to a more competitive labour pool. More employees with experience in the country will be available. As Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash noted yesterday, the rules are intended to create "many options for recruiting skilful workers as per the supply-demand equation". The UAE will, in other words, sharpen its competitive edge.
These changes are clearly a step in the right direction. They should not, however, be seen as the end of the road. Gaps in enforcement will limit the effectiveness of the best labour law. Those at the lowest rungs of employment face the highest risk of abuse. As we report today, Indian workers in Dubai have been flooding a newly created resource centre with complaints about unpaid salaries, voided contracts and illegally held passports.
Announcing the new rules at the weekend, said it was his hope that they would "improve the labour market and limit any wrong practices". There are many ways to do that, but one is further reform.Employees are guaranteed end of service benefits when they leave the country, but many employers fail to provision for it. Labour groups have also argued that minimum wage rules are needed for those of all skill sets, not just white-collar workers.
Improvements to the country's labour law do not just benefit employees but contribute to its long-term economic health. The laws announced at the weekend will have clear benefits for both.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)