Emirates airline employees in Dubai and around the world will receive a pay increase in line with the rising cost of living and inflation globally.
Dubai-based workers will receive increases in accommodation and transport allowances and a 5 per cent raise in their basic salaries from July 1 and a 10 per cent increase in the education support allowance from September, according to an Emirates Group letter to employees seen by The National.
The basic salaries of staff based abroad will be raised to keep pace with the cost of living where they are based, with changes to fixed allowances linked to local market conditions, the company said.
“These increases are a direct response to the rise in cost of living and inflation, which we recognise has put pressure on you and your families,” the memo said.
Inflation in the UAE hit 4.8 per cent in 2022 but has been projected to fall to 3.2 per cent in 2023 and 2.8 per cent 2024, according to the Central Bank's Quarterly Economic Review 2022.
That compares with a global inflation rate of 8.7 per cent in 2022. Global inflation will fall to 7 per cent this year and 4.9 per cent in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund estimates.
The airline's decision to raise employee wages comes after it set aside a bonus pot of Dh10.6 billion ($2.9 billion) for more than 50,000 of its employees, who received 24 weeks of pay with their May salary after the company reported a record annual profit.
Airlines around the world have renegotiated wages and paid bonuses as surging inflation drives up food and energy bills for employees.
Last year, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa and Air France all agreed to salary increases ranging from 2.5 per cent to 8 per cent.
The decision by some airlines to pay higher wages also reflects the intense competition for aviation workers, as they seek to strengthen their operations in response to high travel demand after the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is also another indicator of the industry's recovery from the devastating impact of the pandemic since 2020, which forced airlines to cut jobs and salaries, and furlough staff as much of their fleets were grounded.
The global airline industry's annual profit forecast for 2023 more than doubled on higher travel demand and lower jet fuel prices in the first half of the year, according to the International Air Transport Association's latest report in June.
The industry is expected to collectively earn $9.8 billion in net income this year, up from a December forecast of $4.7 billion, Iata said earlier this month.
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The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
