Etisalat, the leading UAE telecom operator, today announced a 10 per cent basic pay rise to all employees.

An updated Job Grading System, meanwhile, will introduce overall increases in the total package for employees, which will average 25 per cent.

The new Compensation & Benefit (C&B) packages, the details of which were finalised at a meeting of the Etisalat Board of Directors on October 22, will come into effect on November 1, 2007. The decision to implement the improved packages was based on a comprehensive study, commissioned by Etisalat and conducted by an international human resource consultancy.

“Etisalat’s new C&B packages are designed to position the corporation in the top end of corporate employers in the UAE and telecom firms operating in this region,” said Etisalat chairman Mohammad Hassan Omran. “Our new structure will serve to ensure that Etisalat remains an attractive option for both UAE nationals and expatriates.”

He added: “Etisalat’s successes have been built on the hard work and dedication of its employees, and these C&B revisions will lay the foundation for an even more successful future. We are also aware of how important it is for us to remain flexible and efficient. To this end, the new Job Grading System will help Etisalat streamline its internal structure and improve its overall competitiveness in the market.”

The new system, Omran pointed out, will rationalise the number of Job Grades and do away with Junior/Senior categorization. Individual salaries will be structured according to such criteria as internal relativity of positions, expertise and job performance, along with market comparisons.

Further improvements have also been made in other benefits including accommodation and education allowances.

“These revised benefits and salaries are designed to provide well-deserved rewards to company employees, but also to allow Etisalat to maintain its leading position in this highly competitive field,” said Omran, ”A telecom firm relies on the talent and know-how of its people, and we aim to excel by attracting the best and brightest employees, both from within the UAE and internationally to meet the challenges ahead.”  - TradeArabia News Service