NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE News Agencies

Salaries of workers can be paid through Emirates Post

Dubai - Jun 28: The UAE Ministry of Labour has entered into an agreement with Emirates Post to allow private sector employers to pay employees' salaries through select post offices and all branches of Wall Street Exchange.

Announcing the agreement at a press conference, Dr. Ali Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour said that the new facility should be implemented in a way that it doesn't harm the interests of the workers or contradict with the law and regulations existing in the country.

The move is part of the Ministry's efforts to curb the practice of late payment or non-payment of salaries by some companies.

It will also allow workers to do money remittances and other financial transactions from a single window.

The agreement was signed by Dr. Ali Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, and Mohammed Bin Shaker, Assistant DG, Zones, Emirates Post, on behalf of Mr. Abdullah Al Daboos, Director General of Emirates Post, at the Ministry of Labour Office in Dubai today.

Commenting on the new facility, Dr. Al Ka'abi said: "This is part of our efforts to streamline the labour situation in the country. We would like to urge private establishments to join this initiative because it offers benefits to both employers and employees. This system will also ensure that companies follow the labour rules of the UAE and do not default on payment of salaries to their staff." Abdullah Al Daboos commented, "Emirates Post is pleased to join hands with the Ministry of Labour in meeting the needs of the labour force more effectively. We will charge no fees from the employees. We will also extend the service to more post offices in a phased manner. The new facility also enhances our images as a provider of multiple services to the community." The select post offices and all branches of Wall Street Exchange will offer value-added services to employees of the participating companies. In the future, Emirates Post also plans Mobi-Post, a series of mobile post offices that will be positioned in the vicinity of labour camps.

Companies interested in joining the services have to enter into separate arrangements with Emirates Post. An account will be opened to enable easy transfer of money from the company to Emirates Post. Companies that join the system will benefit by way of reduced burden on staff and full security.

Also present at the signing ceremony were Abdullah Al Fan, Assistant DG, Development & Marketing, Abdullah Bin Ghaleb, Managing Director of Wall Street Exchange, and Sultan Bin Kharshan, Group Finance Director, Wall Street Exchange.

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Indian Labourer Committs  Suicide at Global Village

Dubai - Jun 28: A 27-year-old labourer has committed suicide by hanging himself at a construction site in Global Village. Friends of Indian national Prakash Mundavath said that being apart for so long from his wife may have driven him to kill himself.

Mundavath left his home town in Andhra Pradesh two years ago for Dubai just days after his wedding. He used to always talk about how he missed his wife, friends said. Sources say that the young worker had an argument with his wife on the day of the incident and was upset.

In the evening, when the workers were returning to their camps, they noticed that Mundavath was missing and found him hanging from a metal beam.

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FNC to discuss rising prices and living costs

Dubai - Jun 28: The Federal National Council(FNC) will discuss the issue of rising prices and living costs in the country in the second session of its current Legislative Chapter. At a meeting yesterday in Dubai, the Financial, Economic and Industrial Committee of FNC presided by the Committee Chairman Hamad Haris Al Midfa, it was decided that the FNC will adopt the issue as a prime subject of discussion in its current legislative chapter. The committee also decided to send a request to the government for its approval for the discussion of the issue in the FNC.

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Emirates Driving Company appointed to certifty Abu Dhabi taxi drivers

Abu Dhabi - Jun 28 - The Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre has taken a significant step toward ensuring better benefits and better pay for taxi drivers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by authorising the Emirates Driving Company (EDC) to provide certification and optional training programmes for drivers in Abu Dhabi Emirate.

With prospects of improved wages and working conditions under the new system being implemented by the Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre, taxi drivers are being offered simple, fair and affordable certification and optional training packages through the EDC that will make them eligible for the upcoming job opportunities with the newly awarded taxi franchise companies.

The certification and optional training programme, aimed at improving the driver's skills and professionalism, is a fundamental part of the Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre's plan to develop a new platform for the emirate's taxi network.

"For the first time in the 25-year history of the taxi service in Abu Dhabi, taxi drivers are being given the opportunity to improve their skills and improve their earning potential. The opportunity for better benefits, better pay and a better quality of life is being provided for both expats and Emiratis," said Khaled Al Rashedi, General Manager, Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre.

"Further, this certification and optional training package will provide taxi drivers with the skills and professionalism that is an essential part of any world-class taxi system," added Khaled Al Rashedi.

Dr. Gehad Y Esbaita, General Manager, Emirates Driving Company said: "Our state-of-the-art certification and optional training programme will give taxi drivers the skills they need to prosper in the new taxi system. We will support and coordinate with the Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre throughout the entire certification and optional training process in order to ensure the smooth and swift qualification of drivers."

 
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Taxi owners asked to submit proof of ownership

Abu Dhabi - Jun 27:The Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre has requested owners of licensed taxis in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi submit proof of ownership between 1 July and 15 July 2007, at selected branches of National Bank of Abu Dhabi, in order to participate in the new taxi scheme planned for the Emirate.

A press release issued by the Centre said that it is acting on its mandate set out in Law 19 of 2006.

With the launch of the new taxi system planned later this year, all licensed taxis, whether part of the existing or new fleet, will be required to possess new identification and registration numbers.

"The Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre is devoting full resources to deliver the new taxi system by the last quarter of 2007. To ensure a smooth transition from the existing structure to the new state-of-the-art system, we require all owners of licensed taxis in the Emirate to bring their registration documents so that they can benefit from the new compensation schemes" .

"Our plan includes a simple and secure registration mechanic whereby all taxis, existing and new, will be given identification and registration numbers. This will provide us with the correct regulatory framework to manage and monitor the new taxi scheme efficiently," said Khalid Al Rashedi, General Manager, Taxi and Hire Car Regulation Centre.

A wide-reaching media and advertising campaign has accompanied the registration to ensure a smooth roll-out plan. Further information and new developments will be communicated to correctly registered owners in the coming weeks and necessary legal action will be taken against non-compliant taxi owners.

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Dubai - Fined for death plunge

Dubai - Jun 28: Two Syrian engineers have been convicted of wrongly causing the death of a labourer who plummeted four floors to the ground at a construction site. The men were each fined dhs5,000 and ordered to pay dhs200,000 blood money to the victim’s family.

The court was told that the 29-year-old Bangladeshi, who was not wearing a safety helmet, fell as he attempted to climb stairs carrying metal piping at a building site at Discovery Gardens in Jebel Ali.
A report carried out after the death found serious breaches of safety procedures by the construction company. A witness told the court that he saw the labourer slip and fall and said his colleague died instantly.

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Aviation industry ready for take-off

UAE - Jun 28: The aviation market in Middle East is poised for significant and sustained growth, according to the CEO of Air Arabia, the first low-cost carrier (LCC) in the MENA region.

Recently speaking at the fourth annual India and Middle East Low-Cost Carrier Symposium in Mumbai, India, Adel Ali pointed to the projected increase in the Middle East’s share of global tourism to 4.4 per cent by 2020, and said that the Middle East will lead world passenger traffic growth, with current travel demand up 18 per cent.

Ali said: “With three major emerging markets – including China, India and the CIS countries – located right in our backyard, the Middle East is perfectly placed to meet the needs of travellers across this wider region. Each of these areas is currently experiencing sustained increases in passenger traffic, and the Middle East can become the hub for this vast swathe of the globe.”

He continued: “The growth opportunities for the Middle East aviation market are not only linked to geography, however. The sector’s expansion is also being driven by deregulation and liberalisation, by economic diversification and sustained growth, and by the region’s demographics, including the very large expatriate populations in the Gulf states.

All of these factors contribute to the incredible success story taking place here, which has also made the Middle East one of the fastest-growing regions in the world in terms of tourism arrivals. “While demand is increasing across the sector, the outlook for LCCs is especially bright.”

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