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More than 3,000 companies in UAE face legal action for not paying salaries through WPS

UAE authorities have referred more than 3,000 companies to the Public Prosecution for not paying their staff’s salaries through the Wages Protection System (WPS). Under the UAE labour law, salaries must be paid through the WPS to ensure the protection of both employees and employers in a transparent and mutually beneficial employment relationship. According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), there were more than 12,000 violations recorded last year, with violators given administrative fines. The violations included fake Emiratisation, withholding of employees’ passports and Emirates ID, failure to meet housing standards and ignoring the midday break rule. Khalil Al Khoori, undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs, said inspections were carried out in person and also through online channels. Ayesha Belharfia, acting undersecretary for Emiratisation Affairs and assistant undersecretary for Labour Affairs, said that 19 percent of labour cases last year were referred to the courts for legal action. “We are also committed to facilitating the procedures for submitting and dealing with complaints by specialised legal researchers in a transparent and unbiased way. These legal researchers are also keen to find amicable solutions between the involved parties to save time and efforts for both, complainants as well as the labour courts,” Belharfia said. ICA/Expat Media
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