Last year, the judicial authorities of Abu Dhabi examined about 10 thousand labor disputes.
The latest data published by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department indicates that in 2017, the Abu Dhabi court examined 9,828 labor disputes, 5,500 of which were considered as collective claims.
Among the complaints, especially those that were filed by employees, it is possible to single out: financial claims, complaints regarding non-payment of wages and overtime work, as well as the refusal of employers to return employees' passports after termination of employment.
According to officials, the one-day labor dispute court, introduced in October last year, processed 65 cases, among which there were disputes and claims in the amount of less than AED 20 thousand and which did not require a serious investigation.
According to representatives of the Judicial Department, the one-day chamber for labor disputes, which deals with direct complaints with a claim of not more than 20 thousand dirhams, was created to more quickly resolve disputes between employees and employers.
The purpose of a one-day trial is to make a quick decision, in particular in cases where employees have not been paid wages, or when an employee has filed a false claim or financial claim against his employer.
The Labor Court in Abu Dhabi has jurisdiction over cases involving employees of private companies, is governed by the Labor Act and the Charter of Human Rights, with the speed and fairness of the decision being the prevailing factors when considering cases.
In accordance with the law and in order to protect the interests of both parties, the Labor Court previously requested the plaintiffs to first contact the Committee for the Reconciliation of the Parties for a peaceful resolution of the differences. However, at the beginning of 2017, such Committees in court were abolished in order to expedite the process of trial and adjudication.
According to Andrey Panferov, Senior Consultant at Davidson & Co Law Firm, when resolving labor disputes, it is very often important to get a solution quickly, as many employees cannot get a new job or simply leave the country before the conflict with the current employer is resolved. In this regard, the one-day labor court is an effective mechanism for quickly considering a labor dispute and getting an appropriate decision on it.
