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NOCs may push skilled workers out of market

No Objection Certificates restrict employees’ ability to move.
The requirement for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by an employee wishing to change companies in the UAE is forcing many construction professionals to look for work in less restricted and more open markets, according to industry experts. Many construction companies have started to take advantage of the new requirement by refusing to issue NOCs to employees wishing to change jobs in a bid to retain them.

Speaking to Construction Week, Ani Ray, country head, Simplex Infrastructure said: "Companies have begun to refuse NOCs to employees wishing to leave and join a new company which, coupled with the announcement last week that people working on visit visas will be banned for life, has made movement within the industry impossible and could then lead to possible stagnation."

Previously, many companies employed staff on visit visas if they had a six-month ‘ban' and later transferred them onto employment visas once the ban period was over.
But with the latest crackdown, professionals are shying away from working on visit visas due to fear of being banned for good, nor can they change jobs because their companies are refusing to give them NOCs.

Ray added that this has begun to discourage professionals from working in the UAE market and is forcing them to look for jobs in other booming economies in the region and outside including Qatar, India and China.

"My QAQC manager resigned out of fear of being penalised as he was working on a visit visa while waiting for his ban to finish," said a contractor, who wished to remain anonymous. "His previous company has refused to give him an NOC and now he's looking for work in freer markets."

But Paul Kelly, assistant to the GCC manager at construction recruitment firm, Hill McGlynn said: "The money spent on bringing staff into the country is by no mean negligible, so I think that companies are well within their right to hold on to their employees," he said.

"Also, in my experience, if an employee has valid reasons to leave, the companies do provide NOCs without any problems. Movement in the industry would be restricted, but that isn't always a bad thing."

The new ministerial decision that has been approved by the minister of labour, Ali bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, will come into effect from 1 October 2007, and includes a lifetime ban on any person working in the UAE on a visit or transit visa.

Full article at http://www.arabianbusiness.com/500718-n ... rket?ln=en

This is rediculous! It just shows how childish the big bosses of companies can be when someone wants to leave to forward their career.

A new guy at my place is going through it with his old firm at the moment. If he doesnt sort it out soon he will be banned for 6 months and will have to go home!

It also exposes how Dubai Government is endorsing Modern Age Slavery.

thats exactly schandel...dont know what will be the next thing after these..

I have to point out that "bans" are not a new thing in Dubai, the UAE or the rest of the GCC. Actually in the past the ban system has been a lot hasher than what it currently is and was almost impossible to circumvent.

While I don't personally condone some of the business practices; what you also need to realise is that the region is not a "free market economy" in the least.

All other developed countries without exception have discriminatory rules and laws to ensure that foreign labour don't take the bread out of the indigenous peoples mouths - look at the immigration legislation of the UK, USA, Australia etc.

The country belongs to the UAE nationals, how and what they do with it and how they determine to run the country is entirely up to them - they make the rules, if you don't like the rules don't have to play the game!

dbxsoul wrote:I have to point out that "bans" are not a new thing in Dubai, the UAE or the rest of the GCC. Actually in the past the ban system has been a lot hasher than what it currently is and was almost impossible to circumvent.

While I don't personally condone some of the business practices; what you also need to realise is that the region is not a "free market economy" in the least.

All other developed countries without exception have discriminatory rules and laws to ensure that foreign labour don't take the bread out of the indigenous peoples mouths - look at the immigration legislation of the UK, USA, Australia etc.

The country belongs to the UAE nationals, how and what they do with it and how they determine to run the country is entirely up to them - they make the rules, if you don't like the rules don't have to play the game!

This is the truth, like it or not.

Ban on employees working on visit visa - I agree. I think it's common anywhere in the world.

Automatic ban on employees wishing to change job within the country (regardless of zone or years of work) - I somewhat disagree.
IMO what is more fair (both for company & employee) is to apply minimum years of working in the company. Let say automatic ban is applied for employee who has worked less than 2 years or something. Employee who has worked more than 2 years can freely move to other company regardless of the zone. Though it's a grey area, "non-competitor" part can still be followed.

On the other side, IMO the property business will be hammered by this situation (because of less workers?). Somewhat it's a good news for current residents (lower rent?).

xty wrote:Ban on employees working on visit visa - I agree. I think it's common anywhere in the world.

Automatic ban on employees wishing to change job within the country (regardless of zone or years of work) - I somewhat disagree.
IMO what is more fair (both for company & employee) is to apply minimum years of working in the company. Let say automatic ban is applied for employee who has worked less than 2 years or something. Employee who has worked more than 2 years can freely move to other company regardless of the zone. Though it's a grey area, "non-competitor" part can still be followed.

On the other side, IMO the property business will be hammered by this situation (because of less workers?). Somewhat it's a good news for current residents (lower rent?).

Rents will not go down anytime soon, since most landlords here have other sources of income (including me, but I charge less anyway). They can afford to leave spaces empty for a good while. The only peeps hit are the Brit citizens living in UK who bought property here on mortgages trying to join the "Dubai dream," as I found out thru property forums I frequent (considering they're already getting hit by missed deadlines).