The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

UAE Announces New Rule on Labour Disputes, MOHRE

Under a new UAE federal law announced recently, the Ministry of Human Resource and Emiratisation will be responsible for issuing decisions regarding labour disputes in which the value of the contested claim does not exceed Dh50,000. The law was announced during a UAE Cabinet meeting on Monday (September 4), presided by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The UAE’s labour laws protect both employers’ and employees’ rights, especially when there is a labour dispute between the parties. Both parties have the right to register a complaint with MOHRE. Previously, all labour complaints needed to be filed at MOHRE so that the authority can try to resolve the issue amicably before referring it to the courts. The amended law empowers MOHRE to take decisions on labour disputes with claims of up to Dh50,000. Labour disputes with claims above this threshold will be referred to the judiciary. Every worker whose labor complaint has been sent to the Labour Court must do the following: 1. The worker must register the labor complaint with the competent court within 14 days of approving the referral to the judiciary. 2. The employee must obtain a temporary work permit from the ministry before working for another employer. 3. The employee must submit a request to cancel the original work permit within 14 days from the date of issuance of the final judgment in the labor lawsuit if the working relationship between the two parties is terminated. 4. The employee must apply for a temporary work permit with a new employer during the process of the labor case, except when they have been reported absent by their employer. If the worker’s employment is terminated due to the labor complaint, their work permit will be canceled six months after the complaint was filed with the labor court. The UAE Labour Law states that matters referred to the court must be accompanied by a note containing a statement of the disagreement, evidence from both parties, and comments from the relevant labor department. The competent court will schedule a hearing for the claim and notify the two parties within three days of receiving the request. No claim for any rights owed will be heard beyond one year from the date of the breach. The UAE Labour Law also exempts workers or their heirs from paying judicial fees at all stages of litigation and execution for claims less than Dh100,000. ICA/BKM/ Expat Media
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