Monday, 13 November 2006
Human Rights Watch recommendations
* Establish a commission to investigate and publicly report on the situation of migrant workers.
* Prohibit companies from doing business with recruitment agencies in the UAE and abroad, that charge workers fees for travel, visas, employment contracts. Prosecute and penalise employers and recruiting agencies that violate the law.
* Aggressively investigate and prosecute employers who violate the labour law.
* Provide quantitative and qualitative data on labour disputes, deaths and injuries at constructions sites and government actions to address these issues.
* Increase the number of inspectors. Ensure that they are carrying out their duties.
* Inform and educate foreign construction workers of their rights.
* Abide by the obligation to implement a minimum wage.
* Allow establishment of genuine and independent human rights and workers rights organisations.
* Ratify International Labour Organisation conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining.
* Ratify ILO convention on occupational safety and health.
* Ratify ILO convention on protection of rights of migrant workers and members of their kin.
Unskilled workers to be limited to six-year stay in UAE
A draft of the modified labour law includes an article that stipulates a maximum six-year stay for unskilled workers, according to an UAE official.
"The six-year maximum stay for expatriates in the GCC countries was shelved at GCC level but the UAE will go ahead with it, having an article in the new Labour Law to this effect," the official told Gulf News yesterday at the sidelines of the GCC undersecretaries meeting in Abu Dhabi.
Under the rule, unskilled foreign workers and domestic help will be allowed a maximum stay of six years in the country. It will be applicable to a total of two million unskilled workers.
"The UAE received an official document from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) recognising the change of the workers' position from being immigrants to temporary contractual workers.
"This will allow the country to proceed with rules making the maximum stay of workers six years - an initial stay of three years to be renewed only once for a similar period," the official said.
The source explained that workers who complete six years in the country will have to leave but may return after two years on the same conditions.
Dr Ali Bin Abdullah Al Ka'abi, Minister of Labour, told Gulf News yesterday that a draft of the modified law had been finalised. Other amendments to the law include increasing maternity leave from 45 days to 60 days and an article authorising the Labour Minister to approve the setting up of trade unions. Also included is reducing the unpaid Haj (pilgrimage) leave from one month to three weeks and authorisation for introducing a two-day weekend for private sector workers.
