Abu Dhabi // A fine levied against a British chef for storing expired yoghurt at a restaurant in the Emirates Palace hotel was cut by almost Dh77,000 yesterday by an appeal court.
Last month, PH, a chef at the French restaurant Etoiles, was fined Dh92,000 (US$25,000) by Abu Dhabi Municipality after the yoghurt was discovered in the kitchen during a routine inspection. The appeal court reduced the fine to Dh15,000.
A further appeal to the Court of Cassation is possible.
PH was the ranking restaurant employee on the scene and was told to sign the inspection report. The municipality then fined him Dh70,000 for failing to educate the staff about the emirate's food expiration laws, Dh20,000 for storing the expired yoghurt, and Dh2,000 for the municipality's fees.
PH appealed against the fine, and the Appeals Court heard the case on July 13.
PH told the court that he was the chef responsible for the kitchen at the time of the incident, but that he was not the head chef at the restaurant, as several publications including The National had reported.
"The sentence is reduced to Dh5,000 for the first charge and Dh10,000 for the second and third charge," the appellate judge said yesterday. He did not give a reason for the reduction in the fine or explain why PH had been held responsible.
"I should not be the one charged with this," PH said at the July 13 hearing. "I signed the documents, but I did not understand that I would be the one charged. I am only an employee."
A spokesman for the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority appeared to agree, saying: "When we do find someone in violation of the law, we go after the establishment such as the restaurant or the hotel. Article Seven of the food law states that very clearly. We are watching this case very carefully."
The Emirates Palace hotel declined to comment on the verdict yesterday. In an open letter to The National on July 15, Hans Olbertz, its general manager, said the Emirates Palace hotel was not responsible for Etoiles.
"Etoiles is an independent tenant operator within the Emirates Palace campus and employs its own staff," he said. "I would like to make it clear that in no way should this be seen as a reflection of the standards applied across the primary Emirates Palace operations."
PH has 30 days to appeal to the Court of Cassation, which is the final step in Abu Dhabi's legal system.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
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200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
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Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
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Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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