MoL to Stand by Workers’ Rights in Abu Dhabi Tuesday, Nov 6 2007

In order to make sure that the labour rights of workers are protected, the Ministry of Labour in the United Arab Emirates government will undertake inspections of work sites and companies. Companies in Abu Dhabi will be inspected by a team of two inspectors each. Around 100 inspectors have been appointed for the task.

Procedures regarding the payment of wages and overtime benefits will also be inspected in order to make sure that companies are complying with labour laws. If a company is found to be violating the labour laws of the country with regard to salary payment or living conditions, strict penalties will be imposed on them. This can amount to downgrading of status, blocking of work permits and a fine of 10,000 AED.

According to Abu Dhabi Naturalization and Residency Department (ADNRD), the inspection drive will be coordinated by the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Interior. The MoL has ordered companies in Abu Dhabi to be ready with a study on the status of labourers. This has been done with an aim to ensuring their rights and fixing a minimum wage.

MoL order no. 27/1 (1981) requires employers to provide transportation, suitable housing, food, drinking water and first aid along with sports and recreational facilities to its employees.

Also read on this blog:

• UAE construction sector wages to be reviewed
• The dark underbelly of property boom in UAE
• Human rights protection in the UAE

No Responses »

 

UAE construction sector wages to be reviewed Monday, Nov 5 2007

The UAE government has announced a review of workers’ wages in the construction sector, following a series of strikes recently. The Cabinet has ordered a study on the salaries of construction workers. In the next few days, the Labour Ministry of the emirates will be contacting concerned companies in this regard.

The Labour Ministry requires that employers pay salaries without any deduction for any reason whatsoever. The decision of the government to look into the salaries of construction workers comes as a response to strikes by workers against poor living conditions and meagre wages.

At the same time, the government has made it clear that it will not tolerate any violent turn in workers’ protests. Last week acts of vandalism were reported from a few incidents across the emirates.

It is estimated that over 700,000 Asians are construction workers in the UAE. The country already affluent due to its rich oil reserves has been experiencing an economic boom from its real estate sector in recent years. Naturally, construction workers’ unrest has grave consequences for the UAE economy.

One Response »

 

The Dark Underbelly of Property Boom in UAE Saturday, Nov 3 2007

The boom in the property market of Dubai over recent years has cropped up a number of socio-economic issues. The darker side of swanky buildings and high-rise apartments is the ever-widening gulf between the rich and the poor in the emirate. Recent strikes by immigrant workers in the emirates are just one of the many offshoots of the immiscible social inequity.

Majority of construction workers and labourers in the UAE earn a meagre sum of 600-1000 AED per month, which is not even enough to make both ends meet in the region. In stark contrast is the average monthly salary in the emirates that amounts to 10,000 AED. One can very well imagine the anxiety and frustration of thousands of labourers who cannot send money home because they don’t have anything to spare.

Moreover, immigrant workers in the emirates are forced to live in shanty suburbs at the fringes of luxury homes, state of the art artificial islands and avant-garde buildings.

Measures that must be taken immediately:

• Stringent action against employers who impound workers’ passports in order to prevent them from seeking employment elsewhere.
• Stringent action against employers who cheat employees of a part of the pay.
• Ban on working under the scorching summer sun of the Gulf.

The consequences of workers’ discontent can be grave for the development of the emirates. Majority of workforce in the UAE is constituted of expatriates often from developing countries. These poor souls, usually under debts, come to the Gulf with hopes of improving living conditions back home.

With poor living and working conditions on foreign shores and not a penny to spare, no wonder the famed property boom of the region might halt due to shortage of labour.

High time all concerned looked at it from a humanitarian perspective as well.

No Responses »

 

Amnesty deadline for illegal workers ends tomorrow Friday, Nov 2 2007

The extended duration of amnesty drive in the UAE that began on June 3, 2007 will end tomorrow i.e. November 3, 2007. More than 286,000 illegal workers have complied with the amnesty deadline.

The amnesty drive was aimed at making illegal workers in the UAE either legalize their status or leave the country. The official paperwork regarding amnesty has ended yesterday in most of the emirates. However, the drive will technically end tomorrow after which strict legal action will be taken against violators of labour and residency laws along with their sponsors.

Even non-departure before November 3 will result in legal action against the violator and his/her sponsor. Strict penalties will be implemented from Sunday, November 4, 2007. There will be country-wide inspections to track individually sponsored workers such as domestic helps and drivers. Organizations and commercial establishments will also not be spared.

Plans are in the offing for a collaborative effort among concerned government bodies such as the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Interior, chamber of commerce, municipalities and free zones in order to come up with a plan to further the aims of the drive. A timetable and plan of action will be formulated for surprise inspections to trace illegal workers still left in the country. In this regard, the security aspect of inspectors will also be duly taken care of.

According to the statistics with Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department, more than 90,000 applications for regularisation and over 157,000 exit passes were processed before October 8, 2007. The amnesty drive began on June 2, 2007 and ended on September 2, 2007. A grace period of two months was further added to the time frame. This was an opportunity for illegal workers living in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE to correct their status without facing any penalty.

Amnesty programme drawing to a close

No Responses »

 

Amnesty Programme Drawing to a Close Thursday, Aug 30 2007

The 3 months amnesty period for illegal immigrants in the Emirates ends on September 2, 2007. A campaign to take stringent steps against immigrants who ignored the amnesty drive will follow. So far, around 2,50,000 people have taken advantage of the government’s amnesty programme. Of these, more than 45,000 amnesty seekers are Indian illegal workers in the UAE.

The UAE government has made it clear that the amnesty period will not be extended. However, the government has permitted that those amnesty seekers who are through with the formalities but have been unable to leave the country due to unavailability of air tickets or any other valid reason, have time till November 3, 2007. During this grace period, the illegal immigrants have the option to either regularise their status or leave the country. The grace period is not open to those who chose to obtain a work permit during the 3 month amnesty drive.

Mostly it is the low-wage construction labourers and domestic helpers that overstay their visit after their visas expire. In this wake, the UAE Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Interior have jointly launched an awareness programme for highlighting the pitfalls of undocumented labour.

Under the Emirates law, expatriates working illegally in the UAE face up to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment which is followed by deportation. Employers of such workers, on the other hand, can face one month imprisonment and a penalty of 50,000 AED.

3 Responses »

 

Human Rights Protection in UAE Saturday, Aug 18 2007

UAE government is keen on ensuring equal rights to all – be it an Emirati, expatriate or a tourist in the country. It is keen on providing an equal treatment to everyone without any kind of discrimination or prejudice. The constitution of the country has a number of rights and different aspects of freedom that can be enjoyed by its residents and visitors.

Not only this, in an instance of violation of your rights in any manner by a person or institution, whether government or private, you can get a helping hand from a number of places. Here’s an overview:

Illegal Human Trafficking:

I. Anti-human trafficking department of Dubai police

II. National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking
 
Tenant Disputes:

I. Municipality Rent Dispute Committee

Labour Dispute:

I. Labour department in Ajman, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah or Umm Al Quwain – for private sector employees

II. Ministry of Labour’s labour dispute section in Dubai

III. Ministry of Labour’s labour dispute section in Abu Dhabi

IV. Dubai Labour Court

V. Permanent Labour Committee hotline

VI. Human Rights Department of Dubai police

VII. Tanmia

Others:

I. Abused Women and Children’s Organization in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

II. Charity foundations of different expatriate communities, e.g. Egyptian community, Indian community, etc.

No Responses »

 

UAE bid to save child camel jockeys Thursday, Jul 5 2007

The United Arab Emirates has proposed a fund to save child camel jockeys. This project is targeted at compensating child camel jockeys from four countries – Sudan, Mauritania, Pakistan and Bangladesh. These children have been involved with UAE camel races in the past.

The fund will provide the facility of independent claims to the children. In addition, the fund will open a savings account for each child wherein his earnings will be deposited. The respective collected amount would be transferred to the child when he turns 18 years old. The fund will also include compensation for any physical or emotional injury the child jockey may have gone through.

Back in 2005, the UNICEF had entered into an agreement with the United Arab Emirates with an aim to send child camel jockeys back to their homes. In the same year, the UAE banned children less than 18 years old from participating in camel races as jockeys. In April this year, the agreement with the UNICEF was renewed for two more years. It is estimated that the UAE has repatriated about 1100 child camel jockeys till date.

No Responses »