HIRING BAN FOR 800 COMPANIES IN UAE

DUBAI, March 15 (Bernama) -- Authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
have banned about 800 companies from recruiting new workers for failing to
join the first phase of the government's new wage protection system (WPC),
according to a report.

Some 3,000 large firms had come on board by the Nov 30 deadline while 1,100
others had not, of which 300 had been granted a grace period to iron out
"technical issues", The National reported, citing Labour Minister Saqr Ghobash.

Under the WPS, companies defaulting on salaries or making unauthorised
deductions could be detected automatically.

Ghobash described the new system, which is was being implemented in stages,
as an effective tool in guaranteeing that workers received their salaries on
time.

The ministry was working the UAE Central Bank to compel 269,100 companies
across this Gulf nation to pay their workers through banks by the end of May,
according to the newspaper.
-- BERNAMA