A worker with an expired contract in the UAE can now obtain a new work permit and shift to another employer without a consent of his sponsor, a move that will also benefit the Indian workers in the country.
According to a new resolution issued by the UAE Labour Minister Saqr Gobash, the new regulations on conditions and criteria of issuing new work permit for a worker after the expiry of his service contract and transfer of sponsorship will take effect as of first of January 2011 in implementation of a cabinet resolution regarding internal work permit at the ministry.
The resolution says that the new employment permit will only be granted to the worker after the end of his work relationship with his employer without consideration of the legitimate six month period which is usually calculated after the cancellation of the worker”s labor card, but stipulates two must-do conditions.
The UAE has 1.75 million Indian population, which is the largest expatriate community in this country. Once operational, the new regulations will replace the current formalities of transfer of sponsorship for expatriate workers.
Gobash said the new measures aim to infuse broader flexibility in the labour market and strike a balance in the contractual relationship between the employer and worker.The conditions mean that the two contracting parties should end their work relationship cordially and the worker should have worked with his employer for at least two years.
The resolution defines two cases where the worker can obtain the new work permit after the end of the contractual relationship without the agreement of the two contracting parties. The resolution also defines three cases where the worker shall have the right to get a work permit without fulfilling the condition of working two years at least with the employer.