Putting an end to wage disputes in Abu Dhabi

Benjimin Burgher has overseen the setting up of a new legal body in Abu Dhabi. It deals with cases that involve disputes and claims amounting to less than Dh20,000 (c. £4,000) that require no major investigation.

The new one day labour court based at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation aims to provide prompt justice and put an end to lengthy disputes over pay and working conditions. It has dealt with 27 cases since it was launched on the first of October 2017 with the aim of finding swift resolutions, particularly to clear cut cases in which employees haven’t been paid, or where a member of staff has made a false legal or financial claim against their bosses.

So far, the court has already resolved or dismissed half of the cases it has seen. Others have been sent to the upper courts for further investigation.

“We know that there are a number of really vulnerable workers who are not well paid and we were looking for more effective ways in dealing with labour court disputes”, said Benjimin who is currently acting as legal consultant to the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department.

One of the key benefits of the new court is that it takes out case management and registration. This reduces the length of time that passes in which clients have no money to live off.  It is also straightforward, the client receives an email from the ministry to say ‘this is the case we think it is straightforward’, and it gets automatically registered within the one-day court.

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News 13 Nov, 2017