Firms housing workers onsite face stiff fines



DUBAI // Dubai yesterday announced fines of up to Dh25,000 (US$6,800) for companies who house workers at factories or worksites without permission. The decision follows checks by municipal inspectors of companies across the city. The municipality said it would fine offenders between Dh5,000 and Dh25,000, depending on the severity of the offence. The fines, said Hussain Nasser Lootah, the acting director general of the municipality, were aimed at "safeguarding public health and preserving safety of communities living in Dubai".

The announcement comes just months after police found at least 200 labourers living in filthy cardboard boxes in which their employers allegedly housed them in the basement of a building site. The situation was discovered in July after the labourers went on strike to protest against their living conditions. Police have filed a case against the general manager of the company in question. The municipality said firms found housing between six to 20 workers on work premises would now be fined Dh5,000, and Dh10,000 for between 21 to 30 workers. A fine of Dh15,000 would be imposed for housing between 31 and 50 workers in such conditions, and Dh25,000 for more than 50 workers.

Officials said companies that wanted to house any workers in factories or worksites would be allowed to apply for a special permit that would mandate the accommodation met a certain standard. Mr Lootah added that such housing also had to be separate from the actual working area, or else the company would be fined Dh5,000 per worker. The municipality yesterday also announced a fine of Dh10,000 for building owners who fail to repair sewage leaks.

The fine for spitting the juice from betel leaves in public was doubled to Dh1,000 and officials said the fines for the import, trade or possession of betel leaves would also be raised from Dh5,000 to Dh50,000. The fines are the latest in a string of measures introduced by the municipality recently to clean up the city. Its top priority is people disposing of sewage water in open areas or in any other non-designated areas. Individuals or companies can be hit with a Dh100,000 fine for the offence.

The municipality recently moved against dozens of sewage tanker drivers and companies after they were found to be dumping raw sewage through stormwater drainage pipes, as well as on beaches and in the desert. The drivers can be deported if caught repeating the offence. The city also launched an extensive media campaign this year to urge residents to stop spitting in public and littering. Fines were imposed after several weeks of the campaign.

The municipality said all fines announced would be doubled if companies or individuals were caught repeating offences within 12 months. It added that it could also confiscate vehicles and suspend trade licences of offenders. pmenon@thenational.ae

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Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey

Directed by: Pete Doctor

Rating: 4 stars

The biog

Favourite film: The Notebook  

Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey

Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela.           Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands

Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends

Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl

10 tips for entry-level job seekers
  • Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
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  • Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
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  • Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
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Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz

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Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Tell-tale signs of burnout

- loss of confidence and appetite

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- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more

- impaired judgement

- excessive and continuous worrying

- irregular sleep patterns

 

Tips to help overcome burnout

Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’

Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do

Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones

Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation

Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,00

On sale: Available for preorder now

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THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

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