A significant drop by 40% has been recorded in labour disputes during 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, as a result of the exerted awareness efforts, which contributed to strengthening the legal culture of workers and companies, and introducing them to their rights and their responses guaranteed by the Labour Law in the UAE.

His Excellency Counselor Youssef Saeed Al Abri, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, attributed this qualitative achievement to the companies and individuals increased awareness of laws in force in the state, and the successful campaigns of awareness carried out by the Department in cooperation with strategic partners which aimed at promoting the dissemination of legal culture and introduction of legal rights and duties in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Presidential Court, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to consolidate legal knowledge for all segments of society.

His Excellency pointed out that the progress of legal procedures in labour cases, and the manner in which disputes are addressed in the labour court, constituted a major support in enhancing economic stability institutionally and individually, in accordance with the ADJD strategic plan and the emirate's vision, which contributed to supporting the status of the emirate as an attractive destination for foreign investment and business.

Furthermore, through these awareness campaigns, the Department is keen to reach a great deal of customers by visiting their locations and providing them with translations of up to 5 languages, including Arabic, English, Urdu, Pashto and Bengali, as a convenient manner to speak to the target groups in their own languages, to make them aware of the important legal articles that guarantee their rights in the state, and to answer their questions and inquiries and provide legal advice as well.

The decline in labour cases reflects the Department’s efforts to spread the legal culture through awareness campaigns for employees. During the past year, several campaigns were directed to labour camps with the intention to make labourers familiar with their obligations stated in the new labour law. The campaigns emphasised the need to comply with occupational safety and health instructions, to preserve production means and tools, not to possess work related papers or electronic documents for personal interests, to adhere to good conduct, not to disclose secrets, to maintain the work, to diligently develop functional and professional skills and to raise performance level.

The campaigns also aimed at introducing employees to contracting procedures with employers, to the correct methods and channels for filing complaints, to obtaining the rights under the employment contract in case of termination of the contract or the employer’s failure to fulfill his obligations, and to the termination requirements. The mechanism for obtaining unemployment insurance, regulations of transfer to another facility for work, the way to obtain a new work permit as per the specified rules, the importance of referring to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in the event the agreed job opportunity was not provided by the employer or the worker did not receive the salary on time, are all highlighted by these campaigns which also stressed the employee’s right to leave the company upon fulfilling his obligations, and the importance of adhering to the laws of the state in expressing dissatisfaction, filing complaints through legal means not through chaos and gatherings.

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