Tag Archives: georgia
No work permits for lawbreakers: MoL
No work permits for lawbreakers: MoL Salah Al Deberky (news@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 Several companies which were found in violation of a set of four regulations, with the Ministry of Labour putting a stop to all dealings with them, will be contacted and notified in order to clear the offences. The ministry will first send a preliminary notice to the owners of the offending establishments, followed by another notice next month. In the case of no response, the ministry will then suspend issuing work permits to them, and will also reject opening a registry if the defaulters wish to open new establishments, in effect from September 2013. “The move was in pursuance of the decision issued by Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash lately, and under which procedures of issuing permits will be re-organised as well as opening the establishment card for the employers who commit the four violations, plus a fifth offence which will see the ministry put a stop to practising the activity without settling the conditions of the employees in the establishment,” said Humaid bin Deemas Al Suwaidi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the ministry. It is the violation towards which the ministry suspends dealing with other establishments owned by the employer concerned. Suspension will be made immediately without giving the offender a grace period to rectify the irregularity, and the ban will not be lifted unless after the lapse of three months from the date the irregularity was cleared. Employer fails to pay the wages to his employees for two months or more (taking into account the periods in which payment of wages are stopped and the number of workers affected by it). Non-payment of the due administrative fines payable to the Ministry of Labour for a period of four months from the date they become due. Failing to issue or renew the labour card of employees for four months from the date the worker enters the country or from the expiry date. Non-renewal of the establishment’s licence for four months from the date of expiry. This came at a meeting held recently at the MoL’s office in Dubai, presided over by Al Suwaidi and attended by the directors of the Labour Affairs sector departments, directors of labour offices and a number of employees concerned. “The decision of the labour minister did not revoke the measure taken against the establishment which commits the violations, as the ministry will continue to prohibit issuing it new work permits”, he said, noting that, the decision had abolished the procedures enforced on other establishments owned by the offending employer. He said: “The ministry, and before July 1 this year, had suspended transactions, with immediate effect, with all companies belonging to the employer and the establishments with which he (the employer) shared with other employers, in case violations are made by these establishments, and without prior notification”. Continue reading
Liwa Dates Festival kicks off today
Liwa Dates Festival kicks off today Silvia Radan (silvia@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 The ninth Liwa Dates Festival kicks off today in Mazeirah, the main town of Liwa oasis. In the morning, judges will be visiting the first competitors’ farms and inspecting their palm trees, while in the evening, from 8pm, the doors of the air conditioned tent will open to the public with the winners of the first round announced on Friday. This will be the format of this year’s festival, which, for the first time, falls during Ramadan. After Iftar and until 1am, visitors will get to sample the competing ratab (fresh, half-ripen dates), enjoy traditional shows, kids’ competitions, have a look at the exhibition featuring organisations representing dates and farming in general, and enjoy a bit of shopping in the Emirati souk. The dates competition itself, as well as the mango and lemon one will give away prizes totalling Dh5 million to the top 15 winners in each category, which include seven different varieties of dates. Since the festival falls during the holy month of Ramadan, a special atmosphere is expected, which will largely be created by the traditional souk. The 160 shops, which will financially benefit 306 Emirati families, will give an insight into the lives and traditions of this land’s ancestors. “The traditional market is a special event that reveals before the curious eyes of interested tourists our local heritage, which is rich in handicrafts related to the palm tree and dates. The visitors will find in the souk a model of the flourishing oasis decorated with palm leaves that are meticulously woven. They will have a chance to discover all products related to the lives of simple Bedouin families, such as Al Sadu — a traditional form of weaving — and knitting,” explained Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, director of the festival. Al Surood (a round mat made of palm leaves), Al Mukhrafa and Al Jahfeer (two baskets made of palm leaves), floor mats, Al Meshab (a table-mat made of palm leaves), Al Yrab (a large bag made of palm leaves and used to conserve dry dates), along with pastries made of dates and all varieties of ratab will be up for sale. “The market includes a number of majlis — traditional meeting places — that will be shared by women artisans to display their products. This will give visitors the opportunity to discover the splendour of the traditional products made by a group of Emirati mothers,” said Al Mazrouei. The majlis area is also an opportunity for younger girls to learn the art of handicraft making from their elders. The festival will continue until July 25. Buses from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain to the festival grounds are available. Continue reading
German Pellets Plans Second US Plant
German Pellets has announced plans to develop a 1-million-metric-ton plant in the central Louisiana town of Urania. The facility is being developed at the former site of a Georgia Pacific fiber and particleboard plant that closed more than a decade ago. Much of the location’s infrastructure is already in place, including railway siding. The plant is expected to be operational next April. Pellets produced at the facility will be shipped via the harbor of Port Arthur on the Gulf of Mexico, a deep-water port where German Pellets operates storage and loading systems. The company is also developing a 500,000-metric-ton plant in Woodville, Texas. That facility sits in the site of a former wood-chip mill. German Pellets operates 14 additional pellet plants throughout Germany and Australia. Earlier this year, the company announced it was also developing a storage shed for wood pellets on the Wismar seaport in Germany, along with Seehafen Wismar GmbH. Continue reading
