Dubai: Companies will have to pay work permit and labour card violation fines upon the cancellation of their employees' work permits, according to a ministerial decision issued by the Ministry of Labour.

It is the companies' responsibility to pay the outstanding fines and company owners who refuse to pay the fines within one week will have all their establishments' transactions stopped by the ministry, their bank guarantee confiscated until the fine is paid and the ministry has the right to take any other measure to collect the outstanding payment, according to the new decision issued by Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour.

"We want to emphasise that the worker is not accountable for the work permit and labour card violation fines, as it is the responsibility of the companies to clear those violations," said Humaid Bin Deemas, assistant undersecretary at the ministry.