Ten firms fined Dhs50,000 for for recruiting violators

Ten out of 91 trade firms will be fined each Dhs50,000 for breaching the federal labour law for recruiting violators.

A joint team of 38 inspectors from the Ministry of Labour (MoL) and Dubai Police's General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs Dubai last week inspected 91 firms to ensure their compliance with the working hours during the month of Ramadan.

The MoL has reduced working hours of private sector companies from eight to six hours per day during Ramadan.

Isa Al Zarouni, Director of Labour Inspection Department in Dubai, said the inspectional campaign lasted five hours and came in line with article (65) of the Federal Labour Law (1980) which says "The maximum normal working hours for adult employees shall be eight hours per day or forty eight hours per week. However, during the month of Ramadan, normal working hours shall be reduced by two hours."

''Ten companies were found employing 14 violators of whom 12 were sponsored by other firms and the other two entered the country with a visit visa.

"Penalties include suspension of the firm's file and a fine of AED 50,000 on every firm found hiring a foreigner not on its sponsorship, or leaving him work for other firm without meeting stipulations of transfer of sponsorship,'' he added.

Erring firms, he noted, accounted for 11% of the total firms which indicates to a growing awareness among these companies about the risks of hiring illegal workers.