Tag Archives: cricket
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
Dubai Quran Award initial tests begin
Dubai Quran Award initial tests begin Ahmed Shaaban (ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com) / 18 July 2013 Eight of the 89 contestants participating in the 17th session of the Dubai International Quran Award sat for their qualifying tests in public at 10.30pm on Tuesday at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The contestants hailed from Nigeria, Qatar, Bosnia, Mali, Canada, India, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand. Eight other contestants from Chad, Indonesia, Rwanda, Oman, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Macedonia, and the Philippines participated on Wednesday. One of the contestants, Haruna Mohammed (19) from Nigeria recited the Holy Quran in the Hafs Rewaya (a school of recitation) in a professional way, yet he was alerted for minor mistakes. Ibrahim Bu Melha, head of the Award Organising Committee, said all contestants have already arrived in the country. “All participants need to first pass the initial qualifying tests to be eligible for reaching the final stage.” Bu Melha, who is also adviser to the Ruler of Dubai for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs, said the youngest participant at the award this year is an 11-year-old. “The award has also for the first time ever seen a contestant from Norway this year.” Meanwhile, three panels of judges have been assigned for the competition. “The first panel will look after the initial qualifying tests to check upon memorisers’ performance whereas the second, the primary one, is to supervise final tests and the third — including two Emiratis, will decide on the most melodious voices.” Shaikh Ibrahim Al Akhdhar, head of the five-member arbitration committee, on Tuesday said all memorisers are examined twice a day; in the morning and evening. “Contestants are advised to be focused when answering all questions, pay due attention to the rules of recitation, and to recite verse by verse at a reasonable speed.” He added that a quarter mark is deducted against each and every recitation and memorisation mistake. “However, one full mark is deducted if a contestant is alerted three times about something wrong. Memorisers are also instructed to stop recitation when alerted by a bell ring.” Though voice recorders are allowed, participants are warned against carrying cellphones and headsets. Also the audience is urged to switch off their mobile phones or put them on silent, and avoid side talks so as not to distract the contestants. The 11-category award, which is aimed at serving the Holy Quran and promoting the general standard of the Quranic performance, has contacted over 160 countries to participate in the competition which is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. “Big prizes await toppers: the first winner will be awarded Dh250,000, the second will get 200,000, and the third 150,000. Winners from the fourth to the tenth are gifted Dh65,000 – Dh5,000 less each. The rest of the participants get Dh30,000 each,” he said. Continue reading
Shortages in Syrian refugee camps
Shortages in Syrian refugee camps Amanda Fisher / 15 July 2013 Chronic shortages of resources are causing tensions to flare in Syrian refugee camps, says the managing partner of a Dubai-based company that has built accommodation for 6,000 more people fleeing the ongoing conflict. UAE-based company Modular & Mobile Solutions UAE managed the camp, which was knocked up along the Syria-Turkey border in three short months. Kilis Camp, which houses four schools, two mosques, a hospital, clinic, rehabilitation clinic, kitchen and 1,000 “modular homes” that can each accommodate a family of six, was opened two weeks ago and was at half capacity already. The homes, made up of pre-fabricated modules, measure 21 square metres and have running water and electricity, but company managing partner Ben Long said the new camp was no solution to alleviating the pressures facing the ever-growing number of refugees. “Absolutely not, there’s lots more needed. If you look at the project, it’s a big project, there’s 6,000 refugees but there’s 1.6 million registered refugees, and at least that number unregistered.” Tensions were rising inside camps, as people who had had to leave behind their livelihoods battled to get a share of limited resources. “Things are happening at the camps, incidents unfortunately, because there isn’t enough resources, there isn’t enough food or enough water.” Long’s company jointly managed the $6 million project, funded primarily by Kuwaiti charity Islamic Charitable Organisation, alongside Turkish company IHH which works closely with the United Nations — while the Turkish government was providing food. The British expatriate said there were measures in place in order to keep the number of people living at the camp capped with fences around the perimeter and security manning the entrances. “Security is one of the key issues and it is a secure camp, they’ve made sure people can’t just come in…there is an issue with there not being enough housing, but that’s why we need to act together to make more of these communities. We can do it quickly, that the whole thing has been done in three months and we can do it even faster if we get more people working together.” The rehabilitation centre that was operating at the camp was run by doctors and psychologists in order to help people through the emotional turmoil they had experienced. “We have people who can come in and talk about their issues…there’s all kinds of things happening that we can’t even begin to imagine so the rehabilitation team have gone in there with specialists to deal with it,” he said. The community also had provision to help people start working, including a workshop for sewing, while it was hoped a market would eventually start running to “get some trade going”. “Everything’s sort of there in place for people to start moving forward. You’ve got some families who might have a little bit but you’ve got other families with nothing.” amanda@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
