ABU DHABI // A Ministry of Labour official appeared on two live radio shows yesterday to clear up widespread confusion about new regulations designed to make it easier for expatriates to switch jobs.
The changes, announced last week and due to take effect on Saturday, scrap the need for workers to obtain a no-objection certificate.
The changes also do not allow employers of skilled and professional workers to bar the employees from taking new jobs for six months.
Speaking on Noor Dubai and Sharjah FM, Humaid bin Deemas al Suwaidi, the under-secretary for the ministry, said there are conditions to the new rules.
"In the past few days, our call centre has received around 700 calls from employees asking if they can leave their employers at any time under the new regulations," he said. "They cannot unless the contract has ended - legally. They have to respect their contracts. They are the ones who agreed to them, or agreed on their renewal."
There was good news for employees who have left their jobs within the past few months, but have not yet completed the six-month waiting period: they will also be able to take advantage of the new regulations - provided they are skilled, or have completed at least two years of employment, Mr al Suwaidi said.
The ministry made the changes, he said, to "keep" professionals in the country.
"The government has two options, either employ more and more workers from abroad, or employ the ones who are already in the country," said Mr al Suwaidi. "Why get a new one when we have one here?"
Some of the callers were asking for clarification on skilled workers. Mr al Suwaidi explained that they fall into three categories: the top tier having completed a university degree, the second having completed college-level work short of a university degree, and the third having graduated from secondary school.
Under a new classification system the ministry introduced two weeks ago, companies can reduce their labour expenses by hiring more skilled workers - at least 20 per cent, 15 per cent of which are Emiratis - and paying them Dh12,000, Dh7,000 or Dh5,000 from the top tier down.
Mr al Suwaidi predicted all the changes would ease labour market movement as well as encourage Emiratisation in the private sector.
He said that of the four million employees registered to work in the private sector, just 16,000 - or 0.4 per cent - are Emirati. That number is more precise and much lower than previous reports, which put the figure at less than three per cent.
"The problem is that private sectors have a negative image of locals, and locals prefer working in the government sector," he said. "The ministry hopes with the new classification system, companies will be encouraged to employ more workers then pay 'symbolic' labour card fees."
Companies will have until July next year to comply with the new classification system guidelines that were set earlier this month.
The ministry will only become involved with cases of employees who wish to change jobs if their contract has been breached in some way.
"If the contract is unlimited, then you should give your one month's notice first," he said. "If the employer does not cooperate, then the ministry interferes."
Companies will be fined for violations as well as given black points that could boost their labour fees, depending on the violation committed.
The ministry plans to devote half its time to inspecting companies for violations, up from a previous 20 per cent, said Mr al Suwaidi.
The ministry also will partner with the Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Economy to enforce the new legislation.
Anyone with further questions on the labour laws can call 800 6655.
osalem@thenational.ae
Schools, skills and salaries
Each private-sector employee falls into one of five categories. The top three are considered ‘skilled’ workers.
The top tier are those employees with university degrees. The second category of skilled worker is anyone with a diploma, or degree higher than secondary school education. The third category comprises those who have completed secondary-school education.
Under the new classification system, companies with a workforce that is at least 20 per cent skilled must pay the top tier a minimum of Dh12,000 a month, Dh7,000 for the second and Dh5,000 for the third.
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
RESULTS
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
