ABU DHABI // After a long day at work, helping Filipinos to deal with a host of problems such as delayed or unpaid salaries,unfair dismissals and forced resignations, Nasser Munder likes to unwind with a walk on the Corniche.
"An hour of brisk walking helps me relax, clears my head and prepares me for another hectic day at the office," says the 53-year-old labour attache, who likes to take a meander on the Corniche three times a week.
When he moved to Abu Dhabi in February 2007, the first thing Mr Munder did was to read the UAE's labour laws and compile a list of ministerial decrees and resolutions. Five months later, he issued a labour handbook to help workers to navigate the system and advise them of their rights and obligations. A revised copy was published last April.
"The release of the book greatly reduced the number of phone enquiries and visits to my office by workers with labour and visa-related problems," he says. "I've been encouraging professionals to read the book so they could in turn offer advice to their compatriots."
In addition to labour counselling, Mr Munder verifies and signs labour contracts, inspects the offices and staff accommodation of prospective employers and meets representatives from recruitment firms wanting to hire Filipino workers. A third of the nearly 600,000 Filipinos in the emirates live and work in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
Mr Munder has 16 brothers and sisters, all of them successful: two are politicians and the rest work in engineering, accountancy and the medical profession.
After graduating with a degree in political science from Manuel L Quezon University in Manila, he went on to earn a law degree, joining the bar in 1981.
"I studied law because I wanted to enter politics," he says. "But I later thought it was too complicated and didn't want to be involved in any of those dirty tactics just to get elected."
He became a labour attache in 1998, after spending nine years as the municipal trial court judge in Marawi City in southern Philippines.
His first foreign assignment was in Kuwait, where he served as the assistant labour attache. He was transferred to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia the following year and then to Macao in October 2002.
In 2003, he returned to Jeddah to help to resolve the growing number of labour problems facing 450,000 Filipinos working in the Western Region. He served as the assistant regional director of the Philippine Labour Department between 2005 and 2007 before moving to Abu Dhabi in April 2007.
Three months into the job, he helped a domestic worker in Abu Dhabi who had been involved in a car accident in 2003 but had gone home to the Philippines without receiving any compensation.
Two people died in the crash and the woman suffered a broken leg. She spent six months recuperating at the embassy women's shelter before flying home.
When Mr Munder took over the Philippine labour office in the capital, he reviewed the case and, through the courts, helped to secure her Dh95,000 in compensation.
"She could hardly believe it when I phoned her in the Philippines to inform her about the outcome of the case," he recalls. "We wired the money to her as soon as we got hold of her passport copy."
In October 2008 he negotiated an out-of-court settlement with the lawyer of a man accused of raping his housemaid. The victim was discouraged by the prospect of a long, drawn-out court case, but Mr Munder convinced her to stay and fight for her rights. In the end, she won Dh75,000 in compensation.
Elizabeth Marie Estrada, the assistant labour attache who arrived in the capital last March, describes Mr Munder as a "man of few words." "He's not verbose, but when he speaks, you should really listen intently," she says. "You will appreciate his depth of thought."
Mr Munder, she says, is well-liked in the community. "If there is one person whom one would like to seek advice from, it's him," she says.
The labour attache's wife and seven children have all remained in the Philippines, although they are frequent visitors.
Mr Munder attends community functions such as the oath-taking of officers of professional or social clubs. Occasionally, he is invited to gatherings to discuss elements of UAE labour law that are applicable to other expatriate workers.
Last September 30, Mr Munder joined embassy officials from Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh at a lunch hosted by the US embassy.
"As labour-sending countries, we discussed the procedures related to labour and employment and shared our experience in handling our workers' problems," he says.
Most officials say the overriding concern is contract substitution; at the last minute, migrant workers are offered second, inferior work contracts they feel they must sign.
"We remain firm in our stand," Mr Munder says. "There is a need to adopt a uniform contract for our expatriate workers."
Mr Munder's three-year tour of duty was due to end last April.
"I'm waiting for the new policy of our new labour secretary since, initially, we're deployed for three years," he says. "We are like soldiers; we're either recalled to the Philippines or transferred to another foreign post."
rruiz@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The stats: 2017 Jaguar XJ
Price, base / as tested Dh326,700 / Dh342,700
Engine 3.0L V6
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 340hp @ 6,000pm
Torque 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPECS
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What%20is%20Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons%3F%20
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box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
Apple%20Mac%20through%20the%20years
%3Cp%3E1984%20-%20Apple%20unveiled%20the%20Macintosh%20on%20January%2024%3Cbr%3E1985%20-%20Steve%20Jobs%20departed%20from%20Apple%20and%20established%20NeXT%3Cbr%3E1986%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20Macintosh%20Plus%2C%20featuring%20enhanced%20memory%3Cbr%3E1987%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20Macintosh%20II%2C%20equipped%20with%20colour%20capabilities%3Cbr%3E1989%20-%20The%20widely%20acclaimed%20Macintosh%20SE%2F30%20made%20its%20debut%3Cbr%3E1994%20-%20Apple%20presented%20the%20Power%20Macintosh%3Cbr%3E1996%20-%20The%20Macintosh%20System%20Software%20OS%20underwent%20a%20rebranding%20as%20Mac%20OS%3Cbr%3E2001%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20Mac%20OS%20X%2C%20marrying%20Unix%20stability%20with%20a%20user-friendly%20interface%3Cbr%3E2006%20-%20Apple%20adopted%20Intel%20processors%20in%20MacBook%20Pro%20laptops%3Cbr%3E2008%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20MacBook%20Air%2C%20a%20lightweight%20laptop%3Cbr%3E2012%20-%20Apple%20launched%20the%20MacBook%20Pro%20with%20a%20retina%20display%3Cbr%3E2016%20-%20The%20Mac%20operating%20system%20underwent%20rebranding%20as%20macOS%3Cbr%3E2020%20-%20Apple%20introduced%20the%20M1%20chip%20for%20Macs%2C%20combining%20high%20performance%20and%20energy%20efficiency%3Cbr%3E2022%20-%20The%20M2%20chip%20was%20announced%3Cbr%3E2023%20-The%20M3%20line-up%20of%20chip%20was%20announced%20to%20improve%20performance%20and%20add%20new%20capabilities%20for%20Mac.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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)
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Dunki
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
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The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
