6 methods of "defrauding the employment of citizens"
Companies offering fake jobs in exchange for "compete" salaries... to evade a fine
Citizens submitting job applications at one of the previous employment fairs.
Photography: Ashok Verma
picture
Recently, advertisements have spread on a number of websites and employment platforms, for companies and establishments affiliated with the private sector, directly promoting the latest forms of “fictitious localization”, by taking advantage of the advantages provided by the National Program for Raising the Competitiveness of Emirati Cadres (Nafis), especially the monthly financial support.
Through this step, these establishments seek to attract citizens to work in “fake” jobs they have, under the name of remote work, by persuading them to obtain a “competitive” salary without real work.
On the other hand, these establishments succeed in evading the payment of their shares of violations of the “nationalization targets”, amounting to 72 thousand dirhams for each citizen who was not employed.
With the approaching date of fines for Emiratisation targets (2% of the total skilled labor in establishments that include 50 skilled workers or more), which are scheduled to be collected at the beginning of January 2023, «Emirates Today» monitored, through citizens, specialized experts and members of the Federal National Council, six methods that some resort to. Private companies to circumvent the file of hiring citizens in the private sector, either through the “fictitious localization” portal, or to claim that none of the national cadres accept the available jobs.
Citizens emphasized that the latest methods of circumventing localization are advertisements for job opportunities for citizens only, which they follow on famous job platforms that promote supervisory jobs remotely, without any requirements for qualifications, skills or experience, in exchange for low salaries ranging between 2,000 dirhams and 5,000 dirhams per month. From which the value of the insurance contributions is deducted, with the addition of the material privileges related to “Nafes” support within the prescribed salary.
They indicated that some of them contacted declared establishments to inquire, so it became clear that companies need from one to three citizens to meet their localization targets, and they also found establishments offering “formal” jobs without a real salary, or any job commitment, in exchange for obtaining financial support for “Nafis”. » Monthly, provided that the insurance contributions are deducted from it.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation defined "fictitious localization" as "the registration of a citizen in the company's record with a formal job of fictitious representation, including employment without real work, just to achieve the formally required goals, or re-employment of citizens on the job in the same facility, with the aim of manipulating data and obtaining on the benefits associated with that,” stressing that proving the fictitious localization incident exposes companies to financial fines ranging between 20 thousand and 100 thousand dirhams for each citizen employee.
And in the event that the reports of field visits to the sites of the establishments in the private sector prove that the employer was involved in “fictitious localization”, intentionally, and by fraud, he is referred to the Public Prosecution to take action in accordance with the legislation adopted in the country.
The Ministry affirmed that it dealt firmly with violations and negative practices against establishments that try to exploit the “Nafes” initiatives, to obtain the privileges prescribed for companies involved in supporting the program, and to circumvent the requirement to achieve the Emiratisation goals, warning the national cadres not to drift behind these parties, and calling on citizens working in the private sector. Or community members, to report any wrong practices in the labor market, with the aim of strengthening control.
She explained that she has mechanisms that enable her to detect fictitious settlement operations, in coordination with the “Nafes” program, through a digital system linked to other entities in the country, including the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality, Customs and Ports Security, and the Federal Authority for Pensions and Social Security and others, pointing out that it is responsible for Following up or monitoring the extent of the establishments’ commitment to achieving the localization targets, through eight stages, starting with the arrival of the data received from “Nafes” about the establishment, or through the targets received from the Ministry’s localization sector, then the automated distribution of establishments according to the inspection system, after which a visit or follow-up mission is withdrawn established from the system by the inspector, then the inspector then conducts the inspection visit.
She stated that the Ministry's inspectors carry out inspection visits, and the inspector fills out the inspection form and the required visit through the inspection system, then prepares the violation report (in the event of any violation) in accordance with the requirements of the inspection mission, and provides evidence and supporting photos, after which the inspection report and minutes are reviewed and approved. Violation by the official, and finally, approval of the violation report and the fine, if any, by the office manager.
A report by the Ministry stated that the decisions taken by the UAE government in the Emiratisation file contribute to providing job opportunities for national cadres in more than 13 thousand establishments in the private sector before the end of this year, confirming the allocation of 1.11 billion dirhams for the budget of the program to support the salaries of citizens in the private sector, through an initiative Compete for the current year.
The report expected allocating 1.82 billion dirhams to support the salaries of citizens in the private sector during the next year, bringing the total amount to support the program to 2.93 billion dirhams during the two years, pointing out that 97% of citizens working in the private sector (within the category of skilled jobs) are classified at higher professional levels. Meanwhile, the average wage rates for skilled nationals amounted to approximately 14,000 dirhams per month.
A member of the Federal National Council, Obaid Khalfan Al-Ghoul Al-Salami, confirmed that, through his direct communication with citizens, he monitored more methods of establishments to circumvent the settlement file.
He said, "There are companies that do not prefer to hire national cadres, as they are looking for cheap labor, and therefore resort to fraudulent methods, with the aim of manipulating decisions and procedures that require them to employ citizens, through fictitious localization."
Al-Salami added, “The most prominent form of fraud is terminating the contracts of the national employee who has been working in the facility for years, and re-hiring him with a new work contract, with the aim of transferring him to the Nafes initiative, to ensure that the required Emiratisation numbers are met, in exchange for the citizen employee benefiting from government financial support.”
Other parties also broadcast advertisements for employment and vacancies, and then put for submission a special e-mail that does not represent the entity, which is inconsistent with transparency, and opens the way for job manipulation.
He pointed out that a number of institutions, especially governmental and semi-governmental, circumvent the Emiratisation file by contracting with external companies, providing them with employees to work in the "outsourcing" system, to ensure that their official records are free from the presence of resident employees in more proportions than citizens, and to achieve fake localization rates, stressing This system represents one of the most important innovations to combat nationalization, as it agrees with companies that provide employees, most of whom are foreigners, with annual contracts, without being added to the institution or department, and thus they are officially affiliated with the company, but they work in the ministry or department, and have job opportunities It reduces Emirati job opportunities and fortunes in the government sector.
He said, "This phenomenon grew through some banks and private companies, and it was acceptable, at the beginning, as it began with junior employees such as cleaners and maintenance workers, then expanded to include customer service employees, computer technicians, and some other jobs, until it spread and spread in government institutions, For illogical and unnecessary reasons.
In turn, a member of the Federal National Council, Shatha Saeed Al-Naqbi, considered that “the majority of employment fairs that are organized within the country are basically a form of defrauding Emiratisation, as they do not aim at the interest of national cadres, but employers often participate in them for the sake of media appearances and publicity.” While there is no oversight or accountability over these exhibitions over their targets.
Al-Naqbi said: “I remember, in one of the sessions of the National Council, that we spoke with the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation about these exhibitions, and we were surprised that he was not in favor of organizing them, and that the ministry does not have any control or supervisory powers over them, which confirms that they do not serve the government’s directions in the file. Localization, insofar as it serves employers and organizers.
Al-Naqbi criticized the resort of many companies to publish advertisements for vacancies on local and international employment platforms, with salaries and privileges that differ from the jobs allocated by the same company to citizens, which it announces on the Nafes platform, praising the package of measures recently taken by the UAE government, to control manipulation of the Emiratisation file, and strengthen And modernizing the tools and mechanisms that the ministry possesses, to ensure the success of the government’s drive to provide 75,000 jobs for citizens in the private sector over the next five years.
And she stressed the importance of having a clear and integrated database to enhance Emiratisation rates in ministries, federal agencies and bodies, and to identify job needs and vacancies in government agencies, “because the lack of a database negatively affects the future of national graduates.”
For his part, the employment and labor relations expert, Hamad Al-Aidrousi, considered that the state has about 300,000 private companies, and it has a solid legislative and legal base, and decisions focus on the percentage of Emiratisation, which is something that increased the chances of citizens obtaining jobs, pointing out that «this development He places responsibility on the national cadres, because they must search for opportunities that help them develop professionally and skillfully, and not be led by manipulators who seek their own interests by circumventing the laws.
Al-Aidrousi said, "It is unfortunate that the youth's interest is focused on jobs that undermine their professional development, because they make them lag far behind the pace of development. Their professional sides are more focused on finding jobs at any salary.
He added, "When a citizen is confident in his abilities, he will be able to promote himself. Just as a young man needs a job, companies are looking for targets for localization, and since the interest is common, there will be a basis for negotiating the appropriate salary."
He continued: «It is illogical for a citizen to accept low salaries offered by employers, not exceeding 4,000 or 5,000 dirhams, because the state itself has imposed a fine of up to 6,000 dirhams per month on a company that does not employ a citizen, and therefore the citizen must not accept less than this amount as a minimum. when negotiating salary.
Proving the fictitious localization incident exposes companies to financial fines ranging between 20,000 and 100,000 dirhams for each citizen employee.
The absence of an integrated database of job needs at government agencies negatively affects the future of national graduates.
6 tricks on “localization”
■ Promote "remote" supervisory jobs, without any requirements for qualifications
Or skills or experience, in exchange for low salaries, with the addition of “nefes” privileges.
■ Persuading citizens to accept “formal” jobs without a real salary,
Or any job commitment, in exchange for “competing” support.
■ Termination of the contract of the national employee with the establishment, and his re-employment
With a new work contract, to transfer it to the beneficiaries of "Nafis".
■ Job vacancy announcements attached to an unofficial e-mail
It does not represent the employer.
■ Posting job vacancies on local employment platforms
And global, with salaries and benefits that differ from the assigned jobs
From the same company to the citizens.
■ Special recruitment fairs.
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