The Ministry of Labour has ordered a construction firm to pay outstanding salaries to its workers. The move came after 1,000 employees refused to work over the issue. Workers at Dubai-based Goldline Contracting downed tools 10 days ago because their employer owed them two months’ salary.
The ministry has stepped in to resolve the matter and says it will refer the company to public prosecution if it fails to pay the outstanding salaries. The ministry has been negotiating with the construction firm – which works on major projects worth hundreds of millions of dirhams.
As of Monday, it had so far paid one month’s salary. The ministry told 7DAYS that failing to pay salaries is a “red line” that cannot be crossed. Maher Al Obad, assistant undersecretary for Labour Inspection Affairs, said: “The ministry is closely monitoring the situation of about 1,000 workers who have stopped working in demand of two months delayed salaries.
“As soon as we received the complaint we sent out our inspectors to meet with the company officials, who explained that they had already paid a month’s salary and are in the process of paying the second month. The ministry has now requested that the company owners should come to the ministry to present a mechanism that would guarantee the payment of the salaries.
“The ministry will refer the company to public prosecution if no mechanism for payment of workers’ due is made.”
He added: “Workers salaries are a red line that cannot be crossed. It is illegal to delay them.”
Workers can lodge labour complaints through the labour relations offices across all emirates or via the My Salary service online. Obad said: “I call on all workers who are not receiving their salaries on time to complain to the Ministry of Labour.”
An email sent to 7DAYS by someone with knowledge of the strike said workers downed tools on “all projects” due to non-payment. “The company has been promising [to] but not paying salaries on time,” the insider said.
7DAYS has made several attempts to contact Goldline Contracting regarding the issue, but had not received a formal response at the time of going to press. On its website the firm said its portfolio includes construction of high-rise buildings, hotels, clusters of villas and commercial and residential developments.
