Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Skilled workers can take up maximum two part-time jobs

Skilled workers can take up maximum two part-time jobs: Under new system employers must bear the employee s end-of-service and other benefits proportionately


Abu Dhabi: Skilled employees such as experts, consultants, university professors and doctors can take a maximum of two part-time jobs with two employers under the new system introduced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, a senior official told Gulf News on Monday.
Dr Omar Abdul Rahman Al Nuaimi, assistant undersecretary for International Relations at the ministry, added the total hours a skilled worker can put in with the two employers must not exceed eight a day and 48 a week. “The employee must also enjoy at least one day weekly rest,” he said.







The new system is implemented alongside the existing system which allows employers and workers to establish normal business relationship under fixed-term or indefinite contracts.
The new system will enhance the flexibility of the labour market and reduce dependence on labour being sourced from abroad.
- Dr Omar Abdul, Rahman Al Nuaimi


A decision signed by Nasser Bin Thani Al Hameli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, companies can recruit skilled workers — holder of a university degree or higher and those who have completed their diploma in any field — from inside the country or overseas under part-time contracts, which allow these workers to take more than one part-time job without approval of the original or other employers.
The resolution states that an existing regular contract may not be converted into part-time contract or vice versa until after the end of the initial contract, so that each party may freely contract with the model it accepts.
Al Hameli said the new system will enhance the flexibility of the labour market and meet the needs of the employers from the existing labour market and thus reduce dependence on labour being sourced from outside the country.
He added the system contributes to attracting and retaining the skills and expertise to enhance the productivity of the labour market in the country.
The part-time contract is subject to the same rules and penalties applicable to the regular employment contracts, either fixed-term or non-fixed-term, out of keenness to protect the rights of the parties to the employment relationship, according to Al Hameli.
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• Professionals in UAE welcome multiple contracts
The two employers shall bear the employee’s annual leave, the end of service benefits and any other financial obligations in proportion to the number of actual working hours and the amount of the wage paid to the worker.
The decision obliges each employer to provide the worker with the requirements and working environment stipulated in the ministry’s regulations.
According to the decision, the employer may not require the worker to work more than the hours agreed upon without the written consent of the worker. The employer may not prevent the worker from working in a similar facility to his company under the non-competition clause or for disclosure of the secrets of the work, unless a court ruling has been issued to this effect.






Full list of skill categories
Skill 1
Skill 2
Skill 3
Skill 4
Skill 5


Eligible categories
Skilled workers who are eligible to enter into the new part-time contract are skill level I or holders of a university degree or higher and skill level II or those who have completed their two- or three-year diplomas after secondary school in any field.
Skill level I includes — but not limited to — board chairmen, chief executive officers, general managers, professors, marketing managers, sales managers, hotel managers, chemists, physicists, geologists, actuarial statisticians, information technology consultants, system analysts, computer programmers, computer networking, architects, urban planning engineers, interior design engineers, civil engineers, electrical engineers, chemical engineers, ship captains, doctors, veterinarians, pharmacists, teachers, judges, legal researchers, journalists, interpreters, librarians, archivists and musicians.
Skill level II includes — but not limited to — technicians, surveyors, technical controllers, air controllers, sea controllers, nurses, masseurs, orthopaedic physiotherapists, occupation rehabilitation technicians, nannies, dental assistants, pharmacist assistants, acupuncture technicians and real estate agents.
Sources : http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/skilled-workers-can-take-up-maximum-two-part-time-jobs-1.2191547

French language eyes ‘le comeback’ as Britain leaves Europe


French language eyes ‘le comeback’ as Britain leaves Europe BRUSSELS: Once upon a time speaking French was easy in Brussels, but things have changed. Bruno Le Maire, France’s finance minister, felt that keenly during a recent panel event with European steel-makers after several hours of speaking English with EU counterparts. “Maybe one in French if possible, otherwise I will run the risk of being criticised,” Le Maire, who speaks perfect English, said as he scanned the audience for questions. But raised hands quickly dropped away, leaving just one from a journalist, who asked the question in English anyway. Such is the fate of the speaker of French in today’s EU bubble, that small world of European decision-making where the language of Catherine Deneuve and Moliere was once essential. Read More: Mamnoon urges youth to learn Chinese language
Even after the shock vote of Brexit, English — or at least that simplified, beat-up version known as Globish — is firmly rooted as the lingua franca of the Brussels elite. “In the last 20 years, English has become completely dominant. French is not going to replace English in any way,” said Nicolas Veyron, one of the most respected economists in Brussels, who spends most of his day speaking English although he is French. That reality stings for French-speaking veterans of the Brussels bubble who remember a time when the top echelon of Europe was a coterie of francophones. “The retreat of French has been catastrophic,” said Jean Quatremer, the longtime EU correspondent for French daily Liberation who has championed holding the line against the advance of English. “There was a time when everyone in the bubble — commissioners, officials, spokespeople, even (Brexit-backing British foreign minister) Boris Johnson, who was a journalist here — spoke French,” said AFP’s Christian Spillman, who first came to Brussels as a corespondent in 1991. The sea-change for French-speaking came in 2004, when a raft of former Warsaw pact countries entered the union, changing the face of the EU forever. “In came all these new faces and no one spoke French,” said Karen Massin, a prominent Brussels lobbyist from France who began her career in European affairs at that time. “That was the real shift and the EU professional world switched totally to English,” she said. ‘Bastardised’ English
This is not to say that French has disappeared — not least because Brussels, the Belgian capital, is francophone. On Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron is set to announce a plan to promote the French language on the “International Francophonie Day” — the latest in a series of measures by the young French leader to restore the primacy of his native language in Europe and further afield. Officially, along with English and German, French remains a language of business in the EU. Eighty percent of the commission’s roughly 30,000 employees claim it as a first, second or third language, the commission said. “The use of French is now like Italian or Spanish and is mostly linked to nationality. It’s important for networking,” Massin said. Read More: Language of persecuted Rohingya poised to go digital Veyron said that while French is not fundamental in Brussels, using it “makes the conversation richer, offers extra meaning, nuance to the discussion”. “I know many people who are not native speakers who enjoy turning to French to add an extra dimension to a conversation,” said the economist. One former EU official, now a national diplomat, concurred. There is “a lot of French around, no question, but the real difference is that legal texts are almost all now in English.” From that, it quickly follows that a meeting will also veer to English “and that’s probably for the best,” she said. But Quatremer said it created dangers: “You can have 29 people in a room who speak French and all you need is one person who doesn’t and everyone switches to English.” But resorting to “bastardised English” as a common language can lead to “disasters” when laws are being written in a language in which no one involved is a native speaker. Post-Brexit revival?
Amid the shock of Brexit, talk in Brussels was that English would be on the decline given that it was only an official langauge for small members Ireland and Malta. “Slowly but surely, English is losing importance,” quipped Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, before switching to French in a speech last year. But this is true only in nuances, those working inside the EU bubble agreed, though the commission said French-speaking entered nearly every meeting. “It’s getting better,” said Beda Romano, the Brussels correspondent for Italy’s Il Sole/24 Ore who speaks French and English flawlessly, describing the presence of other languages instead of English. However, in terms of the most common foreign languages spoken, the linguistic map of Europe still has English in front as the most widely spoken foreign language at 38 percent followed by French at 12 percent. Given the realities, no one believes that a push by France could see French return to its prominence during the EU’s early days. “The so-called francophonie is reliving a sweet dream from the past. Much like the British commonwealth, it’s a nice idea but unattainable,” the lobbyist Massin said. Sources : https://arynews.tv/en/french-language-eyes-le-comeback-as-britain-leaves-europe/

UAE spreads happiness with prisoner release, free taxi and bus rides

UAE spreads happiness with prisoner release, free taxi and bus rides: Travellers at Dubai airport get happiness stamps on passports on International Day of Happiness







Dubai: Travellers and residents in Dubai were
greeted with smileys and 11 prisoners won their freedom in Sharjah on Tuesday
as the UAE marked the International Day of Happiness.
At the Dubai Airport terminals, travellers got
happiness stamps on their passports that had a smiley and a message that read:
“Welcome to Happy UAE.”







Officers of the General Directorate of
Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) at the airport welcomed people with a
welcome smile and posed for pictures with them.
According to GDRFA Dubai, travellers expressed
their happiness at the gesture when they saw the smiley face on their
passports.
The GDRA’s gesture of happiness was not
confined to the travellers as they also welcomed employees with a smiley.
The GDRFA Dubai’s employees, who usually use
the fingerprint scanners to log in and out, had a note on the scanners saying
‘Your smile is your fingerprint’.







On Tuesday, they were exempted from the
fingerprint scan to mark the Happiness Day in a gesture to spread happiness and
positivity.
Around 5,000 employees of GDRFA Dubai also
received a surprise video message of happiness from Major-General Mohammad
Ahmad Al Merri, director-general of GDRFA, on their computers.
Free taxi rides
As the travellers came out of the airport
terminals, the lucky 100 of them got free taxi rides from the Roads and
Transport Authority (RTA).
Meanwhile, the message of happiness travelled
across the city on Tuesday as the RTA welcomed commuters at metro stations and
buses with a range of gifts including happiness badges, balloons and stress
balls.
Celebrating the International Day of Happiness
and the Happiness Week, the RTA on Tuesday launched a series of activities
which included surprise gifts to commuters, free Happiness Bus rides from
several metro stations including Mall of the Emirates, BurJuman, Union Square,
Al Ras, Al Rashidiya, The Dubai Mall, JLT and Al Jafiliya.
The buses embarked on their journeys from 8am
to 4.30pm from different locations to various destinations such as Hatta Dam,
Dubai Parks and Resorts, La Mer and Global Village.
Appreciating the efforts of its employees, the
RTA distributed “Hello” cards and free lunch meals to 2,500 bus drivers at Al
Aweer Bus Depot.
As it continues to mark the Happiness Week,
the RTA will distribute vouchers to 600 parking inspectors at the Customer Service
Centre at Umm Al Ramool.
Metro spreads smiles
Speaking to Gulf News, a Nigerian security
officer, who is a regular metro commuter, said: “This is a great country and I
am so happy to have found work here. I love using the metro daily to and from
work, it’s a lifeline for me.”
Another metro user Cesare Angelo said he has
been working in Dubai for two years and haven’t been happier in life.
“From the time I came to Dubai two years ago,
I have been using the metro and it is so convenient, one of the reasons why I
find life so easy here,” said Angelo, who works as a waiter.
Prisoner release
Meanwhile, Sharjah Police released 11
prisoners who were jailed for defaulting on their debts, to mark the
International Day of Happiness.
According to Sharjah Police, the pending debts
of the prisoners were settled by Ayadi Committee and Sharjah Charity
Association.
The prisoners, who belonged to different nationalities,
thanked Sharjah Police for their gesture, which enabled them to restart their
normal life.






They also praised the role of police in
supporting and protecting their families, while they were behind the bars and
helped them to overcome the difficulties they encountered during their
incarceration.
Free transport
In Ras Al Khaimah, RAK Transport Authority
offered free public transport within the emirate to neighbourhoods such as Al
Jazeera Al Hamra and Dagdaga and RAK Airport.
The RAK Public Works Department also offered a
30 per cent discount on all its fines.
— With inputs from Aghaddir Ali, Staff
Reporter
Sources : http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/society/uae-spreads-happiness-with-prisoner-release-free-taxi-and-bus-rides-1.2191561

will-not-forgive-without-punishment-sc-bans-shahid-masood-from-hosting-tv-show-for-3-months





The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday banned television anchorperson Shahid Masood from hosting his programme for three months and asked him to submit a written apology to the court.
The news anchor offered the court an unconditional apology "from the depths of his heart" for being unable to prove his startling allegations against the convicted rapist and murderer, Imran Ali, of six-year-old Zainab in Kasur. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, however, dismissed the verbal apology, saying: "I will not forgive you without punishment".
"I have been hearing about the 'depths of your heart' for a while now," Justice Nisar remarked.


The CJP then told Masood to "suggest a punishment for himself or the court will ban him for six months". Masood first suggested a ban for one month and then extended it to two months.
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The SC announced a ban for three months and ordered the anchorperson to submit a written apology. Justice Nisar warned him that the courts "were not the same as before".
Editorial: Yellow journalism
At the beginning of today's hearing, Justice Nisar lambasted the anchorperson for "insulting [the CJP's] law officer" during his late night programme. "How dare he insult my law officer?" the CJP asked.
"I can get a screen installed to watch the remarks you gave in your characteristic loud voice," Justice Nisar said, adding that the court could charge Masood for contempt of court.
In an earlier hearing this month on March 7, the CJP had refused to accept a verbal apology from News One anchorperson for his startling allegations against the convicted rapist and murderer of six-year-old Zainab in Kasur.
Masood, on March 12, had submitted a written apology in court, saying that he was "sorry if the transmission hurt anyone's sentiments". The apology was again rejected by the CJP who said that the anchorperson "had not apologised" in his answer.


The anchorperson had claimed during a late night show in January that convict Imran Ali was a member of a pornography gang which also includes a Punjab minister. During earlier hearings of the case, Masood had also told the court that the suspect has 37 foreign accounts.
Imran Ali, who was convicted in the rape and murder of Zainab Amin by an Anti-terrorism Court in February, had appealed to the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the verdict that handed him death penalty on four counts, pleading not guilty to the offences. His appeal was turned down by the LHC on Tuesday.

Sources : https://www.dawn.com/news/1396458/will-not-forgive-without-punishment-sc-bans-shahid-masood-from-hosting-tv-show-for-3-months

What you need to know before you enter the UAE

What you need to know before you enter the UAE: The most important information you need to have when coming to the UAE is what you can and cannot bring into the country





What you need to know before you enter the UAE
The most important information you need to have when coming to the UAE is what you can, and cannot, bring into the country

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Awareness box for passengers at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Customs arrival check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Smart Customs Inspection System at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Scanner to detect drugs and explosives at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Baggage claim area at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Dubai Customs CCTV room at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Check point for hand carried items at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Dubai Customs CCTV room in Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Matar Rashed Humaid Nasser Al Muhairi, Team Leader Inspection, Passengers Operations, Dubai CustomsImage Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf NewsThe arrival checkpoint of hand-carried bags at Terminal 3 of Dubai International AirporImage Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News

Check point at Dubai International Airport, Terminal 3, Dubai.Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/ Gulf News
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Published: 21:00 March 3, 2018
Mary Achkhanian, Staff Reporter


Dubai: Apart from the various plans to meet family, relatives, friends, enjoy a vacation and visit the stunning sights that Dubai has to offer, what every passenger must keep in mind when arriving in the UAE are the rules and regulations of what they can, and cannot, bring into the country.
In fact, this awareness is more important than all the tourist information one may gather to help ease your travel experience at the airport and ensure you don’t land yourself in trouble.

Passengers coming to Dubai should learn about what they are allowed to bring into the country in order not to unwittingly breach the law, said Khalifa Malik Bin Shahin, Senior Inspection Manager, Airport Passenger Terminal Three.
According to Mattar Rashid Al Muhairi, inspection team leader, there were 15,260 items confiscated in Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport in 2017.
“The most common items seized in all terminals include narcotics, counterfeit goods, restricted medicines and weapons,” he said.
“We have awareness boxes in the customs area in the airport for travellers to gain information on the illegal items, including guns, knives, pepper sprays, laser pens and more,” said Al Muhairi.
“Every passenger should take some time to view the banned items list we have on our official website before they come to the UAE,” he added.
Al Muhairi said travellers coming in with controlled medicines or even prescribed medicines beyond the quantity required for their personal use can face punitive action.
Travellers entering the UAE have been cautioned against bringing in controlled or psychotropic medicines and narcotics that may be available easily in the country of origin but might be included in the control list in the UAE.
“For example, In case of controlled medicines for personal use, both travellers to the UAE and those transiting through the country have to carry a valid medical prescription from the country of origin,” he said.
He also advised passengers to not pick up luggage that doesn’t belong to them because they will be responsible for anything found inside them.
Declare cash
Most passengers arriving in the country continue to be unaware of the need to declare cash money, in whatever currency it may be, if it is above Dh100,000 in value, a custom officer said. According to UAE law, all passengers arriving in the country must disclose cash, travellers’ cheques, jewellery and precious metals in their possession that exceed in value Dh100,000 or its equivalence in other currencies.
“Most cases at the airport have been related to people not disclosing amounts above Dh100,000,” he said. “We have no custom duties on cash money above Dh100,000, but we need them to declare the amounts they have.”
Jewellery, precous metals: 5% custom duty
For valuables, such as jewellery and precious metals, exceeding the permitted limit, custom duties of five per cent will be applicable on them, depending on the reasons they are being brought into the country for.
“We have certain rules for exemption and a discretionary authority in place to evaluate case to case,” stressed Bin Shahin.
A case for exemption
To be exempted from custom duties, for example, baggage and gifts must be of a personal nature and not in commercial quantities and the passenger must not be one who frequently visits the same customs centre or who trades in the items in his possession.
“Some passengers can mistakenly pass through the green channel and others might do it on purpose to avoid declaring what they have. While others might be moving to the UAE carrying their own personal gold, it still has to be declared. This is why we have a discretionary authority who decides on a case by case basis before taking the final decision,” he said.
Discretion with a reason




Bin Shahin added that it’s common for passengers to forget to declare or to hide what they have because they are unaware of the rules of the country.
“We want to ensure everyone coming to the country is happy, and this is why we have the discretionary authority. We are able to know if someone is trying to bring something into the country for commercial purposes, through body language and many other signs,” said Bin Shahin.
Any excess quantities of goods and values intended for commercial purposes are subject to custom tariffs and custom declaration preparation procedures.

Some of the permitted and duty-exempted items and personal effects
1. Gifts whose value does not exceed Dh3,000.
2. A total number of 400 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco (minced or pressed for pipes) or minced/pressed tobacco for smoking, tumbâk (pure tobacco) or water pipe tobacco.
3. The amount of alcoholic beverage shall not exceed 4 litres or 2 cartons of beer, each consisting of 24 cans not exceeding 355 ml for each can. Customs duties on excess quantities shall be collected otherwise they will be confiscated in accordance with Article (4) hereunder.
4. Personal jewellery for non-residents of the UAE
5. A reasonable quantity of electronic devices such as computers or laptops, CD or DVD players, radio systems, projectors, portable TV sets, portable music equipment, etc.
6. Special needs strollers and wheelchairs.
7. Your personal luggage and belongings including clothing and toiletries
8. Disclosure of cash and travellers’ cheques
All passengers who need to disclose must fill the disclosure form designed for this purpose pursuant to the disclosure system applicable in the country.
Banned Items
1. All kinds of Narcotic drugs (Hashish, Cocaine, Heroin, Poppy Seeds, Hallucination Pills, etc..).
2. Goods intended to be imported from boycotted countries.
3. Goods from Israeli origin or bearing Israeli trademarks or logos
4. Crude Ivory and Rhinoceros horn.
5. Gambling tools and machineries.
6. Three layers fishing nets.
7. Original engravings, prints, lithographs, sculpture and statues in any material.
8. Used, reconditioned and inlaid tires.
9. Radiation polluted substances.
10. Printed publications, oil paintings, photographs, pictures, cards, books, magazines stony sculptures and mannequins which contradict Islamic teachings, decencies, or deliberately implying immorality or turmoil.
11. Any other goods, the importation of which is prohibited under the authority of U.A.E. customs laws or any other laws in the country.
12. Forged and duplicate currency.
13. Cooked and home-made foods.




In numbers
Terminal 3 stats for 2017
• 15,260 items confiscated
• 10.6 million passengers screened by Dubai Customs
• 90,568 flights
• 20.9 million luggage screened
Statistics January to November (Drugs and IPR)
Terminal 1:
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Seizures: 6 cases, 15,001 trademark labels, 719 mobile phones
• Opiates: 246 cases with 39,432 opiate pills seized
• Cases of drugs carried in abdomen: Three
• Drug Cases: 32 cases, drugs weighing 11kg
Terminal 2:
• No seizures related to IPR
• Opiates: 178 cases with 29,051 opiate pills seized
• Drug Cases: 12 cases, drugs weighing 1.3kg
Terminal 3:
• IPR Seizures: 2 cases, 11,779 trademark labels
• Opiates: 157 cases with 25,672 opiate pills seized
• Cases of drugs carried in abdomen: Eight
• Drug Cases: 187 cases, drugs weighing 315kg

Travellers get 'smiley visa' on Happiness Day at Dubai Airport; Metro brings smiles on faces

Dubai: Passport officers stamped travelers passports with a smiley face as part of Happiness day.
General directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, surprised those who arrived at the Dubai International Airport Tuesday with a unique stamp with a smiley face design and the title ‘Welcome to the Happy UAE’.


Metro brings smiles on faces
Dubai Metro commuters Tuesday had more reasons to smile as they received surprise gifts at several stations.
Celebrating the International Day of Happiness and the Happiness Week, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) launched a series of activities which included surprise gifts to commuters, free Happiness Bus rides from several metro stations including Mall of the Emirates, Burjuman, Union Square, Al Ras, Al Rashidiya, Dubai Mall, JLT and Al Jaffaliya. 
The buses will embark on their journeys from 8am to 4.30pm from different locations.
At Dubai Airport 100 lucky passengers will getting free taxi rides throughout the day.
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/travellers-get-smiley-visa-on-happiness-day-at-dubai-airport-metro-brings-smiles-on-faces-1.2191376